| Bombycomorpha bifascia | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lasiocampidae |
| Genus: | Bombycomorpha |
| Species: | B. bifascia |
| Binomial name | |
| Bombycomorpha bifascia Walker, 1855 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Bombycomorpha bifascia, the pepper-tree caterpillar, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae, which is native to southern Africa.
The larvae feed on the foliage of Searsia dentata , the pepper-tree Schinus molle , and other Anacardiaceae. They show a preference for the foliage of the introduced pepper-tree. The larvae are highly gregarious and feed in small groups, with a tendency to become cannibalistic when food is depleted.[ citation needed ]
The 40 mm long larva is black with two narrow yellow lines (bifascia) running down each flank. A coating of orange hairs gives it a yellowish appearance. Moulting four times they attain full size in 50–60 days, at which point they descend to ground level and search for a suitable pupating spot. The cocoons are about 20 mm long and chocolate-brown in colour, their surface texture and colour resembling that of dried mud. After some 14 days the moth emerges. If weather conditions are unfavourable the larvae hibernate until the following spring.[ citation needed ]
Their generic name Bombycomorpha refers to their resemblance to the silkworm moths, genus Bombyx .[ citation needed ]
The evergreen bagworm, commonly known as bagworm, eastern bagworm, common bagworm, common basket worm, or North American bagworm, is a moth that spins its cocoon in its larval life, decorating it with bits of plant material from the trees on which it feeds.
The luna moth, also called the American moon moth, is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly named the giant silk moths.
Attacus atlas, the Atlas moth, is a large saturniid moth endemic to the forests of Asia. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
The codling moth is a member of the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. They are major pests to agricultural crops, mainly fruits such as apples and pears, and a codling moth larva is often called an "apple worm". Because the larvae are not able to feed on leaves, they are highly dependent on fruits as a food source and thus have a significant impact on crops. The caterpillars bore into fruit and stop it from growing, which leads to premature ripening. Various means of control, including chemical, biological, and preventive, have been implemented. This moth has a widespread distribution, being found on six continents. Adaptive behavior such as diapause and multiple generations per breeding season have allowed this moth to persist even during years of bad climatic conditions.
The wattle bagworm is a species of moth in the family Psychidae. In southern Africa it is a pest of the black wattle which is grown largely as a source of vegetable tannin. Kotochalia junodi is indigenous to Southern Africa, where it originally fed on indigenous relatives of the wattle.
Searsia dentata, the nana-berry (English), or nanabessie (Afrikaans), is a medium-sized, deciduous tree, reaching a height of about 5 metres and a spread of 4 metres, and with a tendency to scramble through and over neighbouring trees. It occurs naturally in almost the whole of South Africa except the Western and Northern Cape Provinces. Its habitat varies from sea level to the highlands of the Drakensberg. It is frost-hardy and should be planted in full sun. The strongly aromatic leaves are usually conspicuously toothed, though sometimes they may be only slightly toothed. The tree produces small, creamy-white flowers in masses, developing into small, flattened drupes (5-6mm) which turn red or orange when ripe and brown when dry. The ripe fruits are eaten by birds, while the foliage is food for the larvae of the pepper tree moth Bombycomorpha bifascia.
Orgyia antiqua, the rusty tussock moth or vapourer, is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Schinus molle is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 meters. It is native to an area from the Peruvian Andes to southern Brazil. The bright pink fruits of Schinus molle are often sold as "pink peppercorns" although S. molle is unrelated to black pepper. The word molle in Schinus molle comes from mulli, the Quechua word for the tree. The tree is host to the pepper-tree moth, Bombycomorpha bifascia.
The bird-cherry ermine is a species of moth in the family Yponomeutidae, the ermine moths. The wingspan of the moth ranges from 16 to 25 mm. The insect was first described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus who gave it the name Phalaena evonymella; it was later transferred to the genus Yponomeuta, becoming Yponomeuta evonymella. The moth can be found in the whole of Europe and the northern and eastern part of Asia.
Prays fraxinella, also known as the ash bud moth, is a moth of the family Plutellidae found in Europe. The larvae are leaf miners, feeding on the leaves and buds of ash trees.
Thaumatotibia (Cryptophlebia) leucotreta, commonly known as the false codling moth, orange moth, citrus codling moth or orange codling moth, is a moth in the family Tortricidae under the order of Lepidoptera. Larvae of the moth feed on a wide range of crops from cotton and macadamia nuts to Citrus species. The larvae have a less selective diet than the codling moth, which feeds primarily on temperate fruit crops.
Epinotia nanana, the European spruce needleminer, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from northern and central Europe to Russia and Mongolia.
Stictea macropetana, the eucalyptus leafroller, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is native to Australia, but is an introduced species in New Zealand, where it was first recorded in 1921. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1881.
Bifascia nigralbella is a moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It is found in Algeria, the northern Sahara, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, western Pakistan and India. It has also been recorded from Spain.
Orgyia pseudotsugata, the Douglas-fir tussock moth, is a moth of the subfamily Lymantriinae first described by James Halliday McDunnough in 1921. It is found in western North America. Its population periodically irrupts in cyclical outbreaks. The caterpillars feed on the needles of Douglas fir, true fir, and spruce in summer, and moths are on the wing from July or August to November.
Epinotia radicana, the red-striped needleworm moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in western Canada, including British Columbia and Alberta.
Cydalima perspectalis or the box tree moth is a species of moth of the family Crambidae, first described by Francis Walker, the English entomologist, in 1859. Native to Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, far-east Russia and India, it has invaded Europe; first recorded in Germany in 2006, then Switzerland and the Netherlands in 2007, Great Britain in 2008, France and Austria in 2009, Hungary in 2011, then Romania, and Spain. It has been seen in Slovakia, Belgium and Croatia.
Nudaurelia cytherea, also called the pine tree emperor moth or Christmas caterpillar due to its festive colouration, is a southern African member of the family Saturniidae. The family has large edible caterpillars which are an important source of protein for the Bantu peoples of southern Africa. The genus Nudaurelia is closely related to Gonimbrasia and Imbrasia. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.
Spruce sawflies are various sawfly species found in North America that feed on spruce. There are multiple species of sawflies known as spruce sawflies, including species in the genera Gilpinia, Pikonema, Pristiphora, and Cephalcia. Each kind of sawfly attacks particular parts of the spruce as larvae during different times of the year.
Heteronygmia dissimilis is a species of moth in the subfamily Lymantriinae first described by Per Olof Christopher Aurivillius in 1910. It is native to Africa. The adult moth is on wing from February to November, but is most common between June and September. The larvae feed on the foliage of the East African mahogany and when they are plentiful, they can defoliate the tree.
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