Acrolepia aiea
Encyclopedia
Acrolepia aiea is a moth
of the Acrolepiidae
family. It is endemic to Kauai
.
The larvae feed on Nothocestrum latifolium
. They mine
the leaves of their host plant.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Acrolepiidae
Acrolepiidae
The Acrolepiidae family of moths are also known as False Diamondback moths.Caterpillars are typically 10 to 12 mm in length and spotted. Adults have a wingspan between 16 and 18 mm and are generally nocturnal.-Species:Some representative species are:...
family. It is endemic to Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
.
The larvae feed on Nothocestrum latifolium
Nothocestrum latifolium
Nothocestrum latifolium, commonly known as Broadleaf aiea, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It can be found in dry and mesic forests at elevations of on the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Oahu, and Kauai. Broadleaf aiea is...
. They mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant.