both of MENISPERMACEAE.

(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The living adult moth has dark brown forewings with a dark green sheen, and with a sharply defined broad white border along the edges of the wings. The green sheen fades in museum specimens, becoming dark brown. The hind wings are orange, with a black border and black comma in the middle. The moth has a wingspan of about 8 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Carol Buchanan, Bayldon)

The moth (not the Caterpillar) is a pest on fruit plantations. It has a sharp proboscis that it uses to penetrate the fruit in order to suck the juices. After the fruit has been pierced, fungi and other microorganisms can enter the fruit and cause it to rot. The moth is particularly prone to attack :

Control is possible using :

(Specimen: courtesy of Robert Hogan, Sydney)

The species is found across south-east Asia and the Pacific Islands, including:

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 20.3, pp. 65, 449.

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(updated 27 May 2010)