Duponchelia fovealis
Encyclopedia
Duponchelia fovealis is a species of moth
of the family Crambidae
. It is endemic to the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
, and the Canary Islands
, but has extended its range to other parts of Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Canada.
The first record of Duponchelia fovealis in North America was in California where live larvae were detected in a shipment of begonias at a Home Depot in Concord, Contra Costa from San Marcos, San Diego (CDFA, NAPIS, 2005). In the Spring of 2005, this species was discovered in three greenhouses in southern Ontario, Canada. In July, 2010, four male moths were collected in a pheromone trap in San Diego County, California. It is not known at this time if there is an established population.
On 1 November 2010, the USDA-AHIS announced that this moth was present in at least 13 U.S. states.
Adult wingspan
is ca. 20 mm. The moth flies from May to June depending on the location.
The larvae feed on various plants. Hosts include a wide range of mostly herbaceous ornamental plants and field crops, such as Anemone
, Anthurium
, Begonia
, Cyclamen
, Euphorbia, Gerbera
, Kalanchoe
, Limonium, Rosa
, certain aquatic plants, corn, cucumbers, peppers
, pomegranate, tomatoes, and certain herbs.
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 family Crambidae
Crambidae
The Crambidae are the grass moth family of Lepidoptera . They are quite variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae taking up closely folded postures on grass-stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies include brightly coloured and patterned insects which rest in...
. It is endemic to the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, but has extended its range to other parts of Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Canada.
The first record of Duponchelia fovealis in North America was in California where live larvae were detected in a shipment of begonias at a Home Depot in Concord, Contra Costa from San Marcos, San Diego (CDFA, NAPIS, 2005). In the Spring of 2005, this species was discovered in three greenhouses in southern Ontario, Canada. In July, 2010, four male moths were collected in a pheromone trap in San Diego County, California. It is not known at this time if there is an established population.
On 1 November 2010, the USDA-AHIS announced that this moth was present in at least 13 U.S. states.
Adult 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...
is ca. 20 mm. The moth flies from May to June depending on the location.
The larvae feed on various plants. Hosts include a wide range of mostly herbaceous ornamental plants and field crops, such as Anemone
Anemone
Anemone , is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae in the north and south temperate zones...
, Anthurium
Anthurium
Anthurium , is a large genus of about 600–800 species, belonging to the arum family . Anthurium can also be called "Flamingo Flower" or "Boy Flower", both referring to the structure of the spathe and spadix....
, Begonia
Begonia
Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia...
, Cyclamen
Cyclamen
Cyclamen is a genus of 23 species of perennials growing from tubers, valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves...
, Euphorbia, Gerbera
Gerbera
Gerbera L. is a genus of ornamental plants from the sunflower family . It was named in honour of the German botanist and naturalist Traugott Gerber who travelled extensively in Russia and was a friend of Carolus Linnaeus....
, Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe , also written Kalanchöe or Kalanchoë, is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the Family Crassulaceae, mainly native to the Old World but with a few species now growing wild in the New World following introduction of the species.Most are shrubs or...
, Limonium, Rosa
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
, certain aquatic plants, corn, cucumbers, peppers
Bell pepper
Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper and capsicum , is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum . Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as...
, pomegranate, tomatoes, and certain herbs.
External links
- waarneming.nl
- Lepidoptera of Belgium
- Duponchelia fovealis at UKmoths
- Duponchelia fovealis - pest of peppers, begonias and other ornamentals
- Duponchelia fovealis information and updates - University of Florida
- Duponchelia fovealis on the UF / IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
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