Zophodia leithella
| Zophodia leithella | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pyralidae |
| Genus: | Zophodia |
| Species: | Z. leithella
|
| Binomial name | |
| Zophodia leithella (Dyar, 1928)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Zophodia leithella is a species of snout moth in the genus Zophodia.
History[edit]
It was described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1928.
Location[edit]
It is found in northern Venezuela and Colombia, in the Caribbean (Curaçao) and in southern Mexico.[1]
Appearance[edit]
The wingspan is 30–33 mm. The forewings are greyish brown with darker markings and the hindwings are almost wholly white in males and mainly fuscous in females.
Larval Behaviours & Life Cycle[edit]
The larvae feed on Platyopuntia species. They are solitary and feed within the stem of their host plant. The larvae are greyish with broad transverse bands. Full-grown larvae cut through the cuticle of the host plant to form a trapdoor, the free edges of which are cemented to the surface. The cocoon is spun within the larval cavity and possesses a long neck extending to the trapdoor, which is pushed open by the emerging adult.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Cactus Feeding Moths
- ^ Mann, John (1969). "Cactus-Feeding Insects and Mites". Bulletin of the United States National Museum (256): 1–158, 8 plates. doi:10.5479/si.03629236.256.1. hdl:10088/10142.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
 | This Phycitini-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |