Vitula edmandsii

Vitula edmandsii, the American wax moth, dried-fruit moth or dried fruit moth, is a species of snout moth in the genus Vitula. It shares its common name with Cadra calidella, another dried fruit moth. It was described by Packard in 1865. It is found in Germany, Denmark and Fennoscandia,[2] as well Great Britain[3] and eastern North America. The beehive honey moth (ssp. serratilineella), which is found in western North America, is either treated as a full species or as a subspecies of Vitula edmandsii.[4]

Vitula edmandsii
Vitula edmandsii serratilineella
Vitula edmandsii serratilineella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Pyralidae
Genus:
Vitula[1]
Species:
V. edmandsii
Binomial name
Vitula edmandsii
(Packard, 1865)
Synonyms
  • Nephopteryx edmandsii Packard, 1864
  • Moodna bombylicolella Amsel, 1955
  • Vitula serratilineella Ragonot, 1887
  • Vitula dentosella Ragonot, 1887
  • Vitula edmandsae Heinrich, 1956

The wingspan is 20–25 mm.[5] Adults have a distinctive blue-grey ground colour, with a slight rosy suffusion with blackish markings.

The larvae of subspecies serratilineella are a pest of stored raisins, prunes, dried apple and other dried fruit product. Larvae of ssp. edmandsii invade beehives but are not known to be a true pest of stored-products. The species overwinters in the larval stage.[6]

Subspecies
  • Vitula edmandsii edmandsii – dried fruit moth (Europe, eastern North America)
  • Vitula edmandsii serratilineella (Ragonot, 1887) – beehive honey moth (British Columbia, Washington, Utah, California, Arizona, Texas)
  • Vitula edmandsii serratilineella
  • Illustration of adult of Vitula edmandsii edmandsii
  • Illustration of larva of Vitula edmandsii edmandsii
  • Illustration of pupa of Vitula edmandsii edmandsii

References
  1. "World Pyraloidea Database". Globiz.pyraloidea.org. Retrieved 2011-09-29.
  2. Fauna Europaea
  3. Hants Moths
  4. Vitula edmandsii serratilineella at mothphotographersgroup
  5. UKmoths
  6. Bug Guide


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