Castnia invaria
Encyclopedia
Castnia invaria is a moth
in the Castniidae
family. It is found in South America
.
The length of the forewings is 62-80 mm. Adults are greyish brown with a blue-green hue. There are two parallel whitish bands on the hindwings that extend from the costal margin toward the inner angle (lower band) and the anal margin (upper band). A third, shorter and thinner, apical band extends from the costal margin to the inner angle. The hindwings are reddish with a greyish-brown base and two black or dark brown bands that form two bands of red spots.
The larvae feed on Ananas
species (including Ananas comosus) and wild terrestrial Bromeliaceae
species. The larvae form large tunnels in the centre of pineapple plants and at sometimes also feed on the flowers or young fruits.
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...
in the Castniidae
Castniidae
Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of moths with less than 200 species: The majority are Neotropical with some in Australia and a few in south-east Asia. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically-marked forewings and brightly coloured hindwings. They...
family. It is found in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The length of the forewings is 62-80 mm. Adults are greyish brown with a blue-green hue. There are two parallel whitish bands on the hindwings that extend from the costal margin toward the inner angle (lower band) and the anal margin (upper band). A third, shorter and thinner, apical band extends from the costal margin to the inner angle. The hindwings are reddish with a greyish-brown base and two black or dark brown bands that form two bands of red spots.
The larvae feed on Ananas
Ananas
The genus Ananas belongs to the Bromeliad family . It is best known for the species Ananas comosus, the pineapple.This genus originated in Mesoamerica and was brought to the Caribbean Islands by the Carib natives...
species (including Ananas comosus) and wild terrestrial Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae
Bromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana...
species. The larvae form large tunnels in the centre of pineapple plants and at sometimes also feed on the flowers or young fruits.
Subspecies
- Castnia invaria invaria (Brazil: Rio Janeiro)
- Castnia invaria penelope Schaufuss, 1870 (Amazon Basin, Orinoco Basin, from Venezuela and the Guianas to Paraguay, Chile and Argentina)
- Castnia invaria trinitatis Lathy, 1925 (Trinidad)
- Castnia invaria volitans Lamas, 1995 (Surinam, Venezuela, eastern Colombia)