Ichneumenoptera chrysophanes
Encyclopedia
The Clearwing Persimmon Borer (Ichneumenoptera chrysophanes) is a moth
of the Sesiidae
family. It is found from Cairns in Queensland
to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory
.
The length of the forewings is 7-8 mm for males and 7-10 mm for females. Adults are brown with large transparent areas on each wing. The body is sparsely covered in yellow hairs, and there is a large tuft of dark brown hairs on the tip of the abdomen.
The larvae bore in the inner bark of Alphitonia excelsa
, the injured bark of Eucalyptus
species, in branches of Ficus
species, stems of Wisteria
species and in woody galls on branches of Exocarpos cupressiformis. They are considered a pest on Diospyros kaki, of which they feed on the bark.
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 Sesiidae
Sesiidae
The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are family of the Lepidoptera in which the wings partially have hardly any of the normal lepidopteran scales, leaving them transparent. The bodies are generally striped with yellow, red or white, sometimes very brightly, and they have simple antennae...
family. It is found from Cairns in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
The length of the forewings is 7-8 mm for males and 7-10 mm for females. Adults are brown with large transparent areas on each wing. The body is sparsely covered in yellow hairs, and there is a large tuft of dark brown hairs on the tip of the abdomen.
The larvae bore in the inner bark of Alphitonia excelsa
Alphitonia excelsa
Alphitonia excelsa, commonly known as the Red Ash or Soap Tree, is a species of tree in the Rhamnaceae family. It is endemic to Australia, being found in New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and the northeastern tip of Western Australia...
, the injured bark of Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
species, in branches of Ficus
Ficus
Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
species, stems of Wisteria
Wisteria
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae, as Water Wisteria...
species and in woody galls on branches of Exocarpos cupressiformis. They are considered a pest on Diospyros kaki, of which they feed on the bark.