Meyrick's Banana Hedyleptan Moth
Encyclopedia
Meyrick's Banana Hedyleptan Moth (Omiodes meyrickii) is a species of moth
in the Pyralidae
family. It is endemic to the island of Oahu
in Hawaii
.
The larvae feed on banana. Young larvae feed gregariously on the under surface of a banana leaf along the side of the midrib. They spin a slight web for mutual protection, being covered by this and their excrement which is caught and retained by the web. They eat the lower epidermis and the parenchyma of the leaf, leaving the upper epidermis, making it look like dead spots in the leaf where they have fed. When about half-grown, they eat the whole substance of the leaf making a ragged appearance. At this point they become more separated and roll up the edge of the leaf to create a retreat. Full-grown larvae are 32-35 mm long and light green.
The pupa is formed inside a slight cocoon, made in the retreat of the larvae, or some other convenient place for seclusion and shelter. It is 14-17 mm long. The pupal period lasts about 11 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...
in the Pyralidae
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
family. It is endemic to the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in 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...
.
The larvae feed on banana. Young larvae feed gregariously on the under surface of a banana leaf along the side of the midrib. They spin a slight web for mutual protection, being covered by this and their excrement which is caught and retained by the web. They eat the lower epidermis and the parenchyma of the leaf, leaving the upper epidermis, making it look like dead spots in the leaf where they have fed. When about half-grown, they eat the whole substance of the leaf making a ragged appearance. At this point they become more separated and roll up the edge of the leaf to create a retreat. Full-grown larvae are 32-35 mm long and light green.
The pupa is formed inside a slight cocoon, made in the retreat of the larvae, or some other convenient place for seclusion and shelter. It is 14-17 mm long. The pupal period lasts about 11 days.
Source
- Haines, W.P. 2004. Omiodes meyricki. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 31 July 2007.
- Insects of Hawaii. Volume 8, Pyraloidea