Dryadaula terpsichorella
Encyclopedia
The Dancing Moth is a moth
of the Tineidae
family. It is native to south-eastern Polynesia
, Samoa
and Fiji
, but has also been recorded from Hawaii
and more recently from Florida
and California
. The common name is derived from the characteristic dancelike gyrations it goes through when it alights.
Adults are mainly creamy white with some delicate brown, the tips of the forewings are margined with a blackish line that is outwardly edged with white.
Larvae have been found among dead leaves and on other parts of banana, Costus spicatus
, ferns, Pandanus
, pineapple, sugarcane and other plants. The full-grown larva is about 9-10 mm, cylindrical and very dark brown with two brownish spots on each side of segments three and four. The larva does not spin much silk for its protection, and does not make a cocoon for pupation. The pupa is formed in an irregular network of silk, made on the inner side of the leaf-sheath where the larva has lived. It is about 3.5 mm long and about 1 mm wide. The pupal period lasts seven to nine days.
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 Tineidae
Tineidae
Tineidae is a family of moths in the order Lepidoptera. Collectively, they are known as fungus moths or tineid moths. The family contains considerably more than 3,000 species in over 300 genera. Most of the tineid moths are small or medium-sized, with wings held roofwise over the body at rest...
family. It is native to south-eastern Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, but has also been recorded from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and more recently from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The common name is derived from the characteristic dancelike gyrations it goes through when it alights.
Adults are mainly creamy white with some delicate brown, the tips of the forewings are margined with a blackish line that is outwardly edged with white.
Larvae have been found among dead leaves and on other parts of banana, Costus spicatus
Costus spicatus
Costus spicatus, also known as Spiked Spirlaflag Ginger or Indian Head Ginger, is a species of herbaceous plant in the Costaceae family .-Distribution:...
, ferns, Pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
, pineapple, sugarcane and other plants. The full-grown larva is about 9-10 mm, cylindrical and very dark brown with two brownish spots on each side of segments three and four. The larva does not spin much silk for its protection, and does not make a cocoon for pupation. The pupa is formed in an irregular network of silk, made on the inner side of the leaf-sheath where the larva has lived. It is about 3.5 mm long and about 1 mm wide. The pupal period lasts seven to nine days.