Theila siennata (Warren, 1896)
(previously known as Aulacodes siennata)
ACENTROPINAE,   CRAMBIDAE,   PYRALOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Theila siennata
(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

The caterpillars of this species have been found feeding on the leaves of aquatic plants in the genus:

  • Esthwaite Waterweed ( Hydrilla verticillata, HYDROCHARITACEAE )

    Theila siennata
    (Photo: courtesy of David Rentz, Kuranda, Queensland)

    The adult moths basically have white wings. The forewings have bold brown markings and orange margins. The hindwings have a broad orange margin containing some black dots and white patches. The wingspan is about 2 cms.

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

    The species has been found in :

  • Queensland.

    The species has been suggested as a control agent in USA for Esthwaite Waterweed, which is pest in waterways there.


    Further reading:

    Dale H. Habeck and Joseph K. Balciunas,
    Larvae of Nymphulinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) associated with Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae) in North Queensland,
    Australian Journal of Entomology,
    Volume 44, Issue 4 (November 2005), pp 354-363.

    Graham J. McDonald,
    Moths of Tropical North Queensland,
    Butterflies and Other Invertebrates Club,
    Metamorphosis Australia,
    Issue 75 (December 2014), pp. 7-12, Figure 13.

    Buck Richardson,
    Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2015, p. 27.

    William Warren,
    New Genera and Species of Pyralidae, Thyrididae, and Epiplemidae,
    Annals and Magazine of Natural History,
    6th Series, Part 17 (1896), p. 206.


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    (updated 9 March 2012, 4 July 2024)