| Galtara extensa | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Subfamily: | Arctiinae |
| Genus: | Galtara |
| Species: | G. extensa |
| Binomial name | |
| Galtara extensa (Butler, 1880) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Galtara extensa is a moth of the subfamily Arctiinae first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1880. It is found on the Comoros and in Madagascar. [1]
The eggs of this species have a diameter of 0.8 mm and are 0.75 mm in height (dome shaped). They are of cream to white colour when deposited and turn black on the day before hatching. They are laid singly or in batches on the underside of leaves. The duration of eggs is 5–6 days. The larvae feed at night. Their head is smooth and their body is covered with dark, plumose setae (feathery hairs). At maturity they reach a size of 26.4 mm. Pupae is about half the length of the larvae, and the pupal stage is 11–12 days.
Adults of this moth are mostly of mottled shades of grey with white and with black spotting on the forewings. The whole life span of this moths is about 41 days, producing up to nine generation in a year under laboratory conditions.
The larvae of this moths feed on fireweed ( Senecio madagascariensis an Asteraceae), a plant also native to Madagascar that has been introduced to Australia and Hawaii, where it has become an invasive pest. [2]
To a lesser extent they also feed on Delairea odorata , Senecio vulgaris , Crassocephalum crepidioides , Emilia fosbergii , Erechtites hieracifolia and Helianthus annuus (sunflowers). [3]
In December 2012 the United States Department of Agriculture approved the release of Galtara extensa in Hawaii to combat the spread of fireweed. [4]
Helicoverpa zea, commonly known as the corn earworm, is a species in the family Noctuidae. The larva of the moth Helicoverpa zea is a major agricultural pest. Since it is polyphagous during the larval stage, the species has been given many different common names, including the cotton bollworm and the tomato fruitworm. It also consumes a wide variety of other crops.
The cinnabar moth is a brightly coloured arctiid moth found as a native species in Europe and western and central Asia then east across the Palearctic to Siberia to China. It has been introduced into New Zealand, Australia and North America to control ragwort, on which its larvae feed. The moth is named after the red mineral cinnabar because of the red patches on its predominantly black wings. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Cinnabar moths are about 20 mm (0.79 in) long and have a wingspan of 32–42 mm (1.3–1.7 in).
The winter moth is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is an abundant species in Europe and the Near East and a famous study organism for evaluating insect population dynamics. It is one of very few lepidopterans of temperate regions in which adults are active in late autumn and early winter. The adults use endothermy for movement in these cold temperatures. The females of this species are virtually wingless and cannot fly, but the males are fully winged and fly strongly. After the initial frosts of late fall, the females emerge from their pupae, walk to and up trees and emit pheromones in the evening to attract males. After fertilization, they ascend to lay, on average, around 100 eggs each. Typically, the larger the female moth is, the more eggs she lays.
The light brown apple moth is a leafroller moth belonging to the lepidopteran family Tortricidae.
The diamondback moth, sometimes called the cabbage moth, is a moth species of the family Plutellidae and genus Plutella. The small, grayish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along its back. The species may have originated in Europe, South Africa, or the Mediterranean region, but it has now spread worldwide.
Delairea odorata is a climber within the family Asteraceae that is native to South Africa. One of the two species in the genus Delairea, it was previously included in the genus Senecio as Senecio mikanioides. It is known as Cape ivy in some parts of the world (US) and German ivy in others. Other names include parlor ivy and Italian ivy.
Agrotis ipsilon, the dark sword-grass, black cutworm, greasy cutworm, floodplain cutworm or ipsilon dart, is a small noctuid moth found worldwide. The moth gets its scientific name from black markings on its forewings shaped like the letter "Y" or the Greek letter upsilon. The larvae are known as "cutworms" because they cut plants and other crops. The larvae are serious agricultural pests and feed on nearly all varieties of vegetables and many important grains.
Senecio madagascariensis, also known as Madagascar ragwort, is a species of the genus Senecio and family Asteraceae that is native to Southern Africa. Other common names include Madagascar groundsel and fireweed. It has been included on the noxious weeds list for Hawaii and the reject list for Australia. S.madagascariensis is the diploid cytotype of S.inaequidens.
Nyctemera annulata, the magpie moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1832. It is endemic to New Zealand and found in all parts of the country.
Platyptilia isodactylus is a moth of the family Pterophoridae found in China, Europe and was introduced to Australia and New Zealand for biological control. It was first described by the German entomologists, Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1852.
Lantanophaga pusillidactyla, the lantana plume moth, is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is native to the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It was introduced to Australia accidentally in 1936 and is now found from Sydney to Cairns along the coast. It has also been introduced to Hawaii in 1902, Pohnpei in 1948, and Palau in 1960 for biological control. It has since been recorded from Yap in 1987–1988 and is now distributed on all islands of the Mariana and Caroline Islands where the host plant is found, except Aguijan.
Erechthias zebrina is a fungus moth. Initially, it was mistakenly believed to be an ermine moth of genus Argyresthia.
Lioptilodes albistriolatus is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. In South America and Central America it has been recorded from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and Puerto Rico. It is also present in North America, where it is known from Mexico, California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.
Herpetogramma licarsisalis, commonly known as the grass webworm or pale sod-webworm, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae.
Platyptilia farfarellus is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. The species was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1867. It is found from central and southern Europe to Asia Minor, Micronesia and Japan. It is also known from Africa, where it has been recorded from Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, São Tomé & Principe, Tanzania, Uganda, the Seychelles and Malawi.
Carmenta chromolaenae is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is native to Venezuela, but was introduced to South Africa for the biological control of Siam weed.
Maliarpha separatella, the African white stemborer, is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. A worldwide paddy pest, it is found throughout African countries of Cameroon, Mali, Réunion, Madagascar, South Africa, and many Asian paddy cultivating countries such as Myanmar, India, and Sri Lanka. Though they are reported from China and Papua New Guinea, they are also known to attack sugarcane.
Polydesma umbricola, the monkeypod moth or large tabby, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. The species is found in southern Europe, Africa, Asia Minor to southern Asia, of India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, the Andaman Islands, including many Indian Ocean islands, like Coëtivy Island, Aldabra, Assumption Island, Madagascar and on Hawaii.
Phaiogramma stibolepida is a species of moth of the family Geometridae erected by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1879. It is found in eastern and southern Africa and on Madagascar.
Senecio quadridentatus is native to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand it is known by its Māori name pahokoraka or pekapeka. Senecio quadridentatus is an annual or perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is also known as Erechtites quadridentata Labill by the synonyms.
