(Photo: courtesy of John Moore, Karratha, Western Australia)
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 14 August 2008)
This moth is an agricultural pest, causing damage to Citrus and other fruit by piercing the fruit with its strong proboscis in order to suck the juice.
The Caterpillars feed on plants in the Moonseed family ( MENISPERMACEAE ), for example :
male
(Photos: courtesy of
Institut National de la Research Agronomique (INRA), France)
The adult moth has fawn forewings with a variable pattern of pale and dark lines and patches. The hind wings are bright yellow to orange, with a broad dark border and a dark spot in the middle. The moth has a wingspan of about 6 cms.
The species occurs in the tropics all around the world, including:
as well as in Australia in:
The moths are a pest, attacking fruit. It has a sharp proboscis that it uses to penetrate the fruit in order to suck the juices. After the fruit has been pierced, fungi and other microorganisms can enter the fruit and cause it to rot. The moth is is known to attack :
Control is being attempted using :
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 65, 449.
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