Monoptilota
Encyclopedia
Monoptilota is a genus of snout moths
. It was described by Hulst in 1900. It contains only one species, the Lima-bean Vine Borer Moth (Monoptilota pergratialis), which is found in the central and south-eastern parts of the United States
.
The wingspan
is 21-23 mm. Adults are brownish-grey with whitish scales on the edge and across the end of the forewings. These are marked with small black streaks and are black along the veins. The hindwings of the males are white, while the those of the females are greyish. There are three generations per year in North Carolina.
The larvae have been recorded on Phaseolus lunatus, snap bean, Vigna unguiculata and Dahlia
species. Young larvae feed on the leaves of their host. Older larvae bore into stems and hollow out cavities resulting in galls. Silky frass
tubes are attached to the entrance holes on the galls. The species overwinters in the prepupal stage on or near the soil surface. Larvae can be found from May to October.
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
. It was described by Hulst in 1900. It contains only one species, the Lima-bean Vine Borer Moth (Monoptilota pergratialis), which is found in the central and south-eastern parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
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 21-23 mm. Adults are brownish-grey with whitish scales on the edge and across the end of the forewings. These are marked with small black streaks and are black along the veins. The hindwings of the males are white, while the those of the females are greyish. There are three generations per year in North Carolina.
The larvae have been recorded on Phaseolus lunatus, snap bean, Vigna unguiculata and Dahlia
Dahlia
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, some like D. imperialis up to 10 metres tall. Dahlia hybrids are commonly grown as garden plants...
species. Young larvae feed on the leaves of their host. Older larvae bore into stems and hollow out cavities resulting in galls. Silky frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
tubes are attached to the entrance holes on the galls. The species overwinters in the prepupal stage on or near the soil surface. Larvae can be found from May to October.