Arotrophora arcuatalis, commonly known as Banksia Boring Moth or rarely Banksia Moth, is a species of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n tortrid

Tortricidae

Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...

 moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 best known as a pest of Banksia

Banksia

Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...

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First described by Francis Walker

Francis Walker (entomologist)

Francis Walker was an English entomologist. He was one of the most prolific authors in entomology, and stirred controversy during his later life as his publications resulted in a huge number of junior synonyms....

 in 1865, it is the type species

Type species

In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...

 for Arotrophora

Arotrophora

Arotrophora is a genus of tortrix moth. They occur in Australia, where they are strongly associated with the plant family Proteaceae. All of the known larvae bore in Banksia flower spikes.-Taxonomy:...

. It occurs throughout coastal and sub-coastal areas of southern Australia. Adults are grey with brown and white markings.

The moth lays its eggs on the surface of the flower spikes of Banksia while in early bud, and the larvae tunnel into the axis of the spike, boring from follicle to follicle to consume the seeds. They infest a wide range of Banksia species, in some species substantially reducing the seed set. In the cut flower industry, their tunnelling affects the cosmetic qualities of flower spikes, rendering them unsaleable. As a result there has been significant research into control of the moth, including identification of its pheromones.