Eudocima fullonia

Eudocima fullonia (Clerck, [1874])
(one synonym : Othreis phalonia)
Fruit Piercing Moth
CATOCALINAE , NOCTUIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of Jurgen Otto, Townsville)

The moth of this species is an agricultural pest, causing damage to any sort of fruit by piercing it with its strong proboscis in order to suck the juice.

(Photo: courtesy of Jutta Godwin, Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network, Brisbane)

The caterpillars feed on various plants, including:

Coral Tree ( Erythrina crista-galli, FABACEAE ),

Coral Bean ( Erythrina fusca, FABACEAE ),

Tigers Claw ( Erythrina variegata, FABACEAE ),

Carronia multisepala ( MENISPERMACEAE ),

Hypserpa decumbens ( MENISPERMACEAE ),

Roundleaf Vine ( Legnephora moorei, MENISPERMACEAE ),

Pleogyne australis ( MENISPERMACEAE ),

Pearl Vine ( Sarcopetalum harveyanum, MENISPERMACEAE ),

Prickly Tape Vine ( Stephania aculeata, MENISPERMACEAE ),

Laui'atolo ( Stephania forsteri, MENISPERMACEAE ),

Southern Japonica ( Stephania japonica, MENISPERMACEAE ), and

Snake Vine ( Tinospora smilacina, MENISPERMACEAE ).

(Photo: courtesy of Evan Harris, Ipswich)

The adult moth has fawn forewings with a complex pattern of pale and dark patches, including a white spot in the middle connected to a pale streak. The hind wings are bright yellow, with a broad dark border and a dark spot shaped like a comma, in the middle. The The moth has a wingspan of about 9 cms.

The species occurs around the world in the tropics, for example:

Hawaii,

Hong Kong,

New Zealand,

Society Islands, and

USA,
as well as in Australia in:

Queensland, and

Western Australia.

Benin 1980

The moth feeds at night, and attacks unripe as well as ripe fruit, for example :

Bananas, and

Lychees and Longans.

The hole pierced by the moth allows the entry of fungi and other agents which then cause the fruit to rot prematurely. Pest sprays are of no avail for this pest, but control may be possible using :

netting with a mesh less than 2 cms. to cover the plants,

the fly Winthemia caledoniae ( TACHINIDAE ),

the ectoparasitoid wasp Euplectrus maternus ( EULOPHIDAE ),

the egg-parasitoid wasp Telenomus lucullus ( SCELIONIDAE ), and

the egg-parasitoid wasp Ooencyrtus papilionis ( ENCYRTIDAE ).