Carmenta haematica
Encyclopedia
The Argentine Root Borer (Carmenta haematica) is a moth
of the Sesiidae
family. It was described by Ureta in 1956, and is known from Argentina
and Chile
.
Adults are day-flying and have orange (female) or clear (male) wings with a wingspan
of 20-24 mm. Adults emerge in late summer, and larvae develop during the fall, winter, and spring. The species is mostly univoltine, but the presence of some large larvae and pupae during most months indicated some variation.
The larva
of the species have been found on plants in the genus Gutierrezia
, including Gutierrezia solbrigii and Grindelia chiloensis. They have seven instars and are about 24 mm long when full grown. The larvae enter the plant at the base of the twigs or leaves or sometimes bore directly into the crowns. They are cannibalistic after the second instar and usually only one large larva occurs in a single plant. Larger larvae tunnel in the larger roots and make an exit hole in a large stem. A silken tube is often protruded from the exit hole.
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...
of the Sesiidae
Sesiidae
The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are family of the Lepidoptera in which the wings partially have hardly any of the normal lepidopteran scales, leaving them transparent. The bodies are generally striped with yellow, red or white, sometimes very brightly, and they have simple antennae...
family. It was described by Ureta in 1956, and is known from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Adults are day-flying and have orange (female) or clear (male) wings with a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of 20-24 mm. Adults emerge in late summer, and larvae develop during the fall, winter, and spring. The species is mostly univoltine, but the presence of some large larvae and pupae during most months indicated some variation.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
of the species have been found on plants in the genus Gutierrezia
Gutierrezia
Gutierrezia is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family. Plants of this genus are known generally as snakeweeds or matchweeds. There are about 25 species found in North and South America. These plants contain chemical compounds which can be toxic to livestock and some are considered weeds...
, including Gutierrezia solbrigii and Grindelia chiloensis. They have seven instars and are about 24 mm long when full grown. The larvae enter the plant at the base of the twigs or leaves or sometimes bore directly into the crowns. They are cannibalistic after the second instar and usually only one large larva occurs in a single plant. Larger larvae tunnel in the larger roots and make an exit hole in a large stem. A silken tube is often protruded from the exit hole.