| Clearwing tussock moth | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Genus: | Perina |
| Species: | P. nuda |
| Binomial name | |
| Perina nuda Fabricius, 1787 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Perina nuda, the clearwing tussock moth or banyan tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787. [1] It is found in the Indian subregion, Sri Lanka, [2] to southern China [3] Hong Kong, Thailand [4] and Sundaland. [5]
Adults show striking sexual dimorphism. The caterpillar has a greyish head and flanks, with the broad black dorsum. Setae are white. Pupa is bristly, piebald in dark grey and cream. Setae in pupa orange. [6] The caterpillar is a minor pest on several banyan species such as Ficus benjamina , Ficus benghalensis , Ficus racemosa , Ficus pumila and Ficus religiosa . [7] and also many crop plants like Artocarpus and Mangifera . [8]
The species is associated with an RNA virus called Perina nuda virus. [9]