The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths. In particular, it applies to the larvae of the cossid moth Endoxyla leucomochla, which feeds on the roots of the witchetty bush that is widespread throughout the Northern Territory and also typically found in parts of Western Australia and South Australia, although it is also found elsewhere throughout Australia.
The Cossidae, the cossid millers or carpenter millers, make up a family of mostly large miller moths. This family contains over 110 genera with almost 700 known species, and many more species await description. Carpenter millers are nocturnal Lepidoptera found worldwide, except the Southeast Asian subfamily Ratardinae, which is mostly active during the day.
Endoxyla leucomochla is a species of cossid moth endemic to Australia. The larva of the moth is commonly known as the "witchetty grub", and is widely used as bush tucker by Indigenous Australians.
Endoxyla lituratus is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is found throughout Australia.
The Zeuzerinae are a subfamily of the family Cossidae.
Endoxyla is a genus of moths in the family Cossidae and are found in Australia.
Endoxyla acontucha is a species of moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia and New Zealand.
Endoxyla affinis is a species of moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland and New South Wales.
Endoxyla amphiplecta is a species of moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Endoxyla eluta is a species of moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland.
Endoxyla edwardsi is a species of moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland and Victoria.
Endoxyla cinereus, the giant wood moth, is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia and New Zealand. The species was first described in 1890. A rare contemporary sighting of the moth at a school in Australia garnered notice as an editor's pick among the daily headlines of the New York Times on May 8, 2021.
Endoxyla decorata is a moth in the family Cossidae first described by Charles Swinhoe in 1892. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Western Australia.
Endoxyla dictyoschema is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland and Western Australia.
Endoxyla euplecta is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Western Australia.
Endoxyla grisea is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Northern Australia.
Endoxyla macleayi is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from New South Wales and southern Queensland.
Endoxyla turneri is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Queensland.
Endoxyla vittata, the orange-lined wood moth, is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Western Australia.
