The Gumleaf Skeletonizer Moth : Uraba lugens

The gumleaf skeletonizer, Uraba lugens , is a nolid moth probably best known for its pest status in New Zealand and its potential to cause extensive damage to Eucalyptus plantations in Australia. As a pest, research on U . lugens has focused on how to predict and manage these destructive outbreaks. The species, however, has intriguing natural history traits that remain poorly understood and has proved to be a very useful ‘model’ species for investigating neglected ideas and contemporary concepts in sexual communication. Here we describe the natural history of this species, including recent research on aspects of its evolutionary ecology, chemical signalling and phenotypic plasticity.