Omiodes accepta
Encyclopedia
The Sugarcane Leafroller (Omiodes accepta) is a moth
of the Crambidae
family. It is endemic to Kauai
, Oahu
, Molokai
, Maui
and Hawaii
.
The larvae feed on various grasses, including Digitaria prurient, Oplismenus compositus, Pampas grass, Panicum nephehphilum, Paspalum conjugatum, Paspalum orbiculare, sugarcane and the sedge Baumea meyenii.
The larvae roll and spin the leaves of various forest grasses together to form a tube in which they live. It is most abundant in the cooler uplands. When sugarcane was brought to Hawaii, it added the plant to its list of food grasses and frequently becomes a pest to sugarcane.
A recently hatched larva feeds in the folded together tip of a grass leaf which it has fastened
with silk. It eats the surface of the leaf in spots, leaving the under epidermis, which gives the
appearance of dead spots on the leaf. As it becomes larger it folds the leaf together lower down, doing this from time to time as it needs to enlarge its retreat, or have access to a fresh portion of leaf for feeding. In about two weeks the larva has grown to a length of 15 mm. and now eats the whole substance of the leaf, not leaving the epidermis as before. Having used up one leaf, the larva migrates to another. Caterpillars are full-grown in about 3 weeks from hatching.
Pupation takes place within a slight cocoon of white silk in the retreat where the larva has lived. Although the cocoon is sometimes made beneath the leaf-sheaths of cane and in other favorable places. The pupal period lasts 8-13 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 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...
family. It is endemic to Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, 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...
, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
and Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
.
The larvae feed on various grasses, including Digitaria prurient, Oplismenus compositus, Pampas grass, Panicum nephehphilum, Paspalum conjugatum, Paspalum orbiculare, sugarcane and the sedge Baumea meyenii.
The larvae roll and spin the leaves of various forest grasses together to form a tube in which they live. It is most abundant in the cooler uplands. When sugarcane was brought to Hawaii, it added the plant to its list of food grasses and frequently becomes a pest to sugarcane.
A recently hatched larva feeds in the folded together tip of a grass leaf which it has fastened
with silk. It eats the surface of the leaf in spots, leaving the under epidermis, which gives the
appearance of dead spots on the leaf. As it becomes larger it folds the leaf together lower down, doing this from time to time as it needs to enlarge its retreat, or have access to a fresh portion of leaf for feeding. In about two weeks the larva has grown to a length of 15 mm. and now eats the whole substance of the leaf, not leaving the epidermis as before. Having used up one leaf, the larva migrates to another. Caterpillars are full-grown in about 3 weeks from hatching.
Pupation takes place within a slight cocoon of white silk in the retreat where the larva has lived. Although the cocoon is sometimes made beneath the leaf-sheaths of cane and in other favorable places. The pupal period lasts 8-13 days.