Coscinoptycha improbana Meyrick, 1881
Australian Guava Moth
CARPOSINIDAE,   COPROMORPHOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Coscinoptycha improbana
(Photo: courtesy of Dianne Clarke, Maleny, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species are pests, boring into the fruit and seeds of many fruit trees, including

  • Red Olive ( Elaeodendron australe, CELASTRACEAE ),
  • White Cherry ( Schizomeria ovata, CUNONIACEAE ),
  • Guava ( Psidium guajava, MYRTACEAE ),
  • Macadamia Nuts ( Macadamia integrifolia, PROTEACEAE ),
  • Loquat ( Eriobotyra japonica, ROSACEAE ), and
  • Lemons ( Citrus limon, RUTACEAE ),

    Coscinoptycha improbana
    (Photo: courtesy of Aila Keto, Springbrook, Queensland)

    The adult moth has off-white forewings, each with a scattering of grey-brown dots, and several dark marks along the costa, and two irregular dark blotches in the middle. The males also have a half-naked raised membrane running along the middle of the wing The hindwings are white. The body is orange, but covered in white hair. It has a wingspan of about 1.5 cms.

    Coscinoptycha improbana
    (Photo: courtesy of the Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

    The species occurs in

  • New Caledonia,
  • New Zealand,

    as well as in Australia in

  • Queensland,
  • Norfolk Island,
  • New South Wales,
  • Victoria, and
  • Tasmania.

    Coscinoptycha improbana
    (Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)


    Further reading :

    Edward Meyrick,
    Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera. VI. Tortricina,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Series 1, Volume 6, Number 3 (1881), p. 701.


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    (written 28 December 2018, updated 24 October 2019, 18 January 2020)