| Lantana Flower-Cluster Moth (also known as Crocidosema lantana) EUCOSMINI, OLETHREUTINAE, TORTRICIDAE, TORTRICOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)
|
| Lantana Flower-Cluster Moth (also known as Crocidosema lantana) EUCOSMINI, OLETHREUTINAE, TORTRICIDAE, TORTRICOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)
This caterpillar has been found feeding in the stems, flowers, and fruits of
Lantana is a pestilent weed over much of Australia, so this caterpillar was imported in an attempt to control the weed.
The adult moths are a patchy brown, with a dark triangular mark on the hind margin of each forewing. The hindwings are white with brown veins and margins. The wingspan is about 2 cms.
The species occurs naturally in
The species was subsequently introduced around 1913 into Australia, and is now found in:
The moth has also been introduced into other countries to control Lantana there, including
Further reading :
August Busck,
New Central-American Microlepidoptera introduced into the Hawaiian Islands,
Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington,
Volume 12 (1910), p. 132.
Ian F.B. Common,
The Occurrence of Epinotia lantana (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae) in Australia,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Vol. 82, pt. 2 (1957), pp. 230-232.
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, fig. 28.5, pp. 72, 280.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 6 August 2013)