# Apple Looper

*Phrissogonus laticostata*

To escape predators, the caterpillar can freeze its body perfectly straight, mimicking a tiny, dead twig.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Geometridae › Phrissogonus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Woodlands, orchards, and suburban gardens.
- **Diet:** Larvae feed on flowers and foliage of Acacia and various garden plants; adults drink flower nectar.
- **Range:** Australia, New Zealand
- **Size:** Wingspan of 15-20 mm; caterpillar up to 20 mm in length.
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 months
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Widespread pesticide use in agricultural orchards and private gardens.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These moths and their caterpillars pose no threat to humans. If you find one, observe its looping crawl from a safe distance. Avoid handling the adult moth, as touching its wings can rub off the delicate scales needed for flight.

## About

Phrissogonus is a monotypic moth genus in the family Geometridae erected by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1882. Its only species, Phrissogonus laticostata , the apple looper , was first described by Francis Walker in 1862. It is found in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/3059c91d-0ec3-405d-b3c4-1cc25d817d56
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1004767
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrissogonus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/1324090/medium.jpg (Donald Hobern, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.