Stenoptilodes littoralis
Encyclopedia
Stenoptilodes littoralis is a moth
of the Pterophoridae family. It is only known from Kauai
, Oahu
, Molokai
and Hawaii
, but is thought to be introduced to Hawaii
.
It is a highly variable species. Adults have two-lobed forewings and three-lobed hindwings, and very long legs.
The larvae of ssp. littoralis have been recorded on Geranium cariolinianum australe, while ssp. rhynchophora feeds on Vaccinium
species, including Vaccinium penduliflorurn, Vaccinium reticulatum
and Vaccinium calycinum. The larvae are green and long and skinny.
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 Pterophoridae family. It is only known from 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",...
, Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
and Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, but is thought to be introduced to 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...
.
It is a highly variable species. Adults have two-lobed forewings and three-lobed hindwings, and very long legs.
The larvae of ssp. littoralis have been recorded on Geranium cariolinianum australe, while ssp. rhynchophora feeds on Vaccinium
Vaccinium
Vaccinium is a genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the plant Family Ericaceae. The fruit of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry or whortleberry, lingonberry or cowberry, and huckleberry...
species, including Vaccinium penduliflorurn, Vaccinium reticulatum
Vaccinium reticulatum
Vaccinium reticulatum, known as Ōhelo ai in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the heather family, Ericaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows at altitudes of on lava flows and freshly disturbed volcanic ash on Maui and Hawaii, and less commonly on Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai...
and Vaccinium calycinum. The larvae are green and long and skinny.
Subspecies
- Stenoptilodes littoralis littoralis (Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Hawaii)
- Stenoptilodes littoralis rhynchophora (Meyrick, 1888) (Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii)