Palpita vitrealis

Palpita vitrealis, common name jasmine moth or white pearl, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae.

Palpita vitrealis
Moth of Palpita vitrealis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Crambidae
Genus:
Palpita
Species:
P. vitrealis
Binomial name
Palpita vitrealis
(Rossi, 1794)
Synonyms[1][2][3]

Distribution

This species occurs worldwide, including Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, South Africa), [2]Asia, Australia, Europe and America.[4] In Europe, it is mainly found in southern Europe, but may be found further north. [3][5]

Description
Palpita vitrealis

The wingspan of Palpita vitrealis can reach 27–31 mm. The body and the wings are translucent with a slight sheen. Eyes are large and reddish-brown. On the upper edge of the forewings is present a rather broad orange or brown border. The forewings also show two black spots in the middle. Legs are white and brown ringed.[6]

Biology

These moths mainly fly from August till late October, depending on the location. They feed on nectar of various flowers, including ivy and buddleia.[6][7] This species shows a migratory nature. The larvae are initially yellow, later becoming green. They can grow to a length of about 2 cms. They feed on the leaves of the host plants, mainly jasmine (Jasminum officinale), privet (Ligustrum species), Forsythia, Arbutus unedo and european olive (Olea europaea). [7] In Africa the preferred host plants are Sida rhombifolia, Grewia, Helicteres isora, Schima noronhae and Randia scortechinii. [2] The larvae are considered a pest of olive fields, as they attack the leaves and fruits. The final instar of the larvae spins some leaves together and form a silky cocoon to pupate.[5]

References
  1. Lepiforum
  2. African Moths
  3. Fauna Europaea
  4. Funet
  5. Plantwise Knowledge Banl
  6. UK Moths
  7. Catalogue of lepidoptera of Belgium


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.