Species of moth
Opogona sacchari , the banana moth , is a moth of the family Tineidae . The species was first described by Wenceslas Bojer in 1856. It is native to the humid tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa , where it is also found in Madagascar , Mauritius , Réunion , Rodrigues Island , the Seychelles and St. Helena .[ 1] It was first reported from the Canary Islands in the 1920s.[ 2] In the 1970s, it was introduced into Brazil [ 2] and Central America ,[ 3] and also appeared in Europe. It has been reported from Florida since 1986.
The wingspan is 18–25 mm. Adults are bright yellowish brown.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including bananas, pineapples, bamboo, maize and sugarcane. In glasshouses in European countries, it has been found infesting various tropical or subtropical ornamentals, including Cactaceae , Dracaena , Strelitzia and Yucca , but also occasionally Alpinia , Begonia , Bougainvillea , Bromeliaceae , Chamaedorea and other palms, Cordyline , Dieffenbachia , Euphorbia pulcherrima , Ficus , Gloxinia , Heliconia , Hippeastrum , Maranta , Philodendron , Sansevieria , Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia , Capsicum and aubergines.
The pupae are shorter than 10 mm, brown and formed in a cocoon of 15 mm.
At 15 °C it has a life cycle of about three months: eggs hatch in 12 days, larval development 50 days, pupal stage 20 days and adult life 6 days.
References
^ "Opogona sacchari (banana moth)" . Invasive Species Compendium . CABI. 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018 .
^ a b Rautapää, Jorma. "Opogona sacchari " . The Danish Agricultural Agency. Retrieved 18 October 2018 .
^ Davis, DR; Pena, JE (1990). "Biology and Morphology of Banana moth Opogona sacchari (Bojer), and its introduction into Florida (Lepidoptera: Tineidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington . 92 (4): 593–618.
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