Herpetogramma licarsisalis

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Herpetogramma licarsisalis
Grass Webworm Moth (Herpetogramma licarsisalis) (4990091325).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Herpetogramma
Species:
H. licarsisalis
Binomial name
Herpetogramma licarsisalis
(Walker, 1859)
Synonyms
List
  • Botys licarsisalisWalker, 1859
  • Botys pharaxalisWalker, 1859
  • Botys immundalisWalker, 1866
  • Entephria fumidalisWalker, 1866
  • Botys serotinalisDe Joannis, 1889
  • Botys abstrusalisWalker, 1859

Herpetogramma licarsisalis, commonly known as the grass webworm or pale sod-webworm, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae.

Distribution and habitat

It is distributed in most of the Old World tropics, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Réunion, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, the Philippines, New Caledonia, Australia, [1] [2] and New Zealand.[ citation needed ] It is an introduced species in many other parts of the world, including Hawaii, [3] continental Spain and the Canary Islands, Portugal, Great Britain, [1] Turkey, [4] Cyprus, [2] India and Sri Lanka.[ citation needed ]

Lifecycle

The flat, elliptical eggs are deposited singly or in masses on the leaf blade's upper surface along the midrib. The caterpillars hatch after 4-6 days and undergo five instars in the following 14 days. First instar larvae are characterised by a black head capsule, whereas later instars have a brown head capsule. Mature larvae are green to brown, sometimes with a rose tint. Full-grown larvae are about 20 mm long. Pupation occurs in a loosely-woven hibernaculum and takes about 7.3 days. After eclosion from the pupa, the adult moths live for about 13 days. The moth's wingspan is about 24 mm. The species is strictly nocturnal, with all major developmental steps (mating, egg laying, hatching of the young larvae, larval feeding, moulting, pupation and eclosion) taking place at night. [3]

Behaviour and ecology

The species is a pest of turf and pastures in some parts of its distribution range. The larvae feed on various grasses of the family Poaceae such as Cenchrus clandestinus , Cynodon dactylon , Echinochloa crus-galli , Ischaemum , Lolium perenne , Oryza sativa , Panicum , Paspalum dilatatum , Pennisetum , Sorghum and Zea mays , as well as on Acanthus ebracteatus in the Acanthaceae, Gomphrena globosa in the Amaranthaceae, Nephelium lappaceum in the Sapindaceae, Senna siamea in the Fabaceae, and the king fern Angiopteris evecta in the Marattiaceae. [1] [2] [4] The larvae live in a tube made of the leaves of their food plant lined with silk. [1]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">African armyworm</span> Species of moth

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<i>Peridroma saucia</i> Species of moth

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<i>Herpetogramma</i> Genus of moths

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<i>Spodoptera eridania</i> Species of moth

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<i>Zeiraphera canadensis</i> Species of moth

Zeiraphera canadensis, the spruce bud moth, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is a small brown moth mainly found in North America, specifically New Brunswick, Quebec, and the north-eastern United States. The adult moth flutters quickly, and stays low among trees during the day and higher above tree cover after sunset. The spruce bud moth relies primarily on the white spruce tree as a host plant. Both male and female spruce bud moths mate multiply, however males have the ability to secrete accessory gland proteins that prevent female re-mating. The moth is univoltine, meaning only one generation hatches per year, and its eggs overwinter from July to May. The species Z. ratzeburgiana is very similar to Z. canadensis and can only be distinguished by the presence of an anal comb in Z. canadensis.

<i>Arsenura armida</i> Species of moth

Arsenura armida, the giant silk moth, is a moth of the family Saturniidae. It is found mainly in South and Central America, from Mexico to Bolivia, and Ecuador to south-eastern Brazil. It was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1779.

Ithome concolorella, the kiawe flower moth, is a species of moth of the family Cosmopterigidae. It was first described by Vactor Tousey Chambers in 1875. It is found in the southern United States, including Texas, southern Arizona and Florida. It is an introduced species in Hawaii, where it has been recorded from Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Hawaii and Molokai.

<i>Hellula undalis</i> Species of moth

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<i>Chilo suppressalis</i> Species of moth

Chilo suppressalis, the Asiatic rice borer or striped rice stemborer, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is a widespread species, known from Iran, India, Sri Lanka, China, eastern Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia to the Pacific.

<i>Conopomorpha flueggella</i> Species of moth

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<i>Hermeuptychia sosybius</i> Species of butterfly

Hermeuptychia sosybius, the Carolina satyr, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the United States from southern New Jersey south along the coast to southern Florida, west to south-eastern Kansas, central Oklahoma and central Texas. It is also found in Mexico and Central America.

<i>Herpetogramma aeglealis</i> Species of moth

Herpetogramma aeglealis, commonly known as the serpentine webworm moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was first described by Francis Walker in 1859 and is found in eastern North America.

<i>Herpetogramma basalis</i> Species of moth

Herpetogramma basalis is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It is found on the Canary Islands and in Japan, China, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, La Réunion, South Africa, and Mali.

<i>Herpetogramma phaeopteralis</i> Species of moth

Herpetogramma phaeopteralis, commonly known as the dark sod webworm, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Achille Guenée in 1854.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Goater, B.; Knill-Jones, S. A. (1999). "Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker, 1859) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the Grass Webworm, new to Britain" (PDF). Entomologist's Gazette. 50: 71–74.
  2. 1 2 3 Park, Bo-Sun; Qi, Mu-Jie; Na, Sol-Moon; Lee, Dong-Sun; Kim, Jae-Won; Bae, Yang-Seop (2016). "Two newly recorded species of the genus Herpetogramma (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) in Korea". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 9: 230–233. doi: 10.1016/j.japb.2016.03.007 .
  3. 1 2 Tashiro, H. (1976). "Biology of the Grass Webworm, Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Lepidoptera: Pyraustidae) in Hawaii". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 69 (5): 797–803. doi:10.1093/aesa/69.5.797.
  4. 1 2 Atay, Erol (2004). "Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker, 1859) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae): The Grass Webworm, new for Turkey". Zoology in the Middle East. 31 (1): 117–118. doi:10.1080/09397140.2004.10638034.