Eudocima phalonia
Encyclopedia
The Fruit Piercing Moth (Eudocima phalonia) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in large parts of the tropics, mainly in Asia, Africa and Australia but introduced into other areas such as Hawaii
, New Zealand
and the Society Islands
.
The wingspan
is about 90 mm.
The adult is considered an agricultural pest, causing damage to many fruit crops by piercing it with its strong proboscis in order to suck the juice. Attempts have been made to control them using baits for the adults, egg parasites and larval parasitoids.
The larvae feed mainly on vines belonging to the Menispermaceae
but have also adapted to species of Erythrina
and are known to feed on Erythrina crista-galli
, Erythrina fusca
, Erythrina variegata
, Carronia multisepala, Hypserpa decumbens, Legnephora moorei
, Pleogyne australis, Sarcopetalum harveyanum
, Stephania aculeata, Stephania forsteri, Stephania japonica
and Tinospora smilacina.
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 Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found in large parts of the tropics, mainly in Asia, Africa and Australia but introduced into other areas such as Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 90 mm.
The adult is considered an agricultural pest, causing damage to many fruit crops by piercing it with its strong proboscis in order to suck the juice. Attempts have been made to control them using baits for the adults, egg parasites and larval parasitoids.
The larvae feed mainly on vines belonging to the Menispermaceae
Menispermaceae
Menispermaceae, the botanical name for a family of flowering plants, has been universally recognized by taxonomists. Tubocurare, a neuromuscular blocker and active ingredient in curare, is derived from plants of this family....
but have also adapted to species of Erythrina
Erythrina
Erythrina is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 130 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They are trees, growing up to in height...
and are known to feed on Erythrina crista-galli
Erythrina crista-galli
Erythrina crista-galli is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, native to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, most notably in California...
, Erythrina fusca
Erythrina fusca
Erythrina fusca is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is known by many common names, including purple coraltree, gallito, bois immortelle, bucayo, and the more ambiguous "bucare" and "coral bean". E...
, Erythrina variegata
Erythrina variegata
Erythrina variegata is a species of Erythrina native to the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, northern Australia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean east to...
, Carronia multisepala, Hypserpa decumbens, Legnephora moorei
Legnephora moorei
Legnephora moorei is a species of plant in the Menispermaceae family. Endemic to the rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Round-leaf Vine is a tall and large leafed climber usually noticed by fallen leaves on the rainforest floor. The southern most limit of natural distribution...
, Pleogyne australis, Sarcopetalum harveyanum
Sarcopetalum harveyanum
Sarcopetalum harveyanum, known as the Pearl Vine is a common plant found mostly in coastal areas of eastern Australia. It can be found in or around rainforests, and is also seen in eucalyptus forests....
, Stephania aculeata, Stephania forsteri, Stephania japonica
Stephania japonica
Stephania japonica, known in Australia as the Snake Vine is a common scrambler, often seen in sheltered areas near the sea.A widespread vine seen as far south as Eden, New South Wales, north through Queensland. Also seen in Japan, India and many other areas of south-east Asia and the Pacific region...
and Tinospora smilacina.