It is considered a pest by fruit growers, as the larvae feed on branches of many kinds of fruit trees. Olive trees in particular are very susceptible and can be killed by the larvae burrowing within them.
These moths are associated with woodland, gardens and orchards.[7]
Description
Zeuzera pyrina has a wingspan of 35–60 millimetres (1.4–2.4in).[7] This is a highly distinctive species. The male is slightly smaller than the female. The length of the abdomen of the female is about 45–50 millimetres (1.8–2.0in). These moths have a white head, with a black forehead and a very furry white thorax marked with six black spots. The abdomen is black, with short white hair-like scales on the posterior edge of each segment and a flat brush of scales on the apex. Forewings are whitish, long and narrow, with numerous black spots or black spots with white interior spots, arranged in rows along the veins. Hindwings are translucent, except in the anal area, with small black spots. In addition to the dimensions, the two sexes differ in the shape of the antennae, thinner in the female, while in the male they are markedly bipectinate, with the exception of terminals articles.
Biology
The moth flies from June to September depending on the location. The caterpillars are xylophagous. They feed on the wood of various deciduous trees and shrubs[7] (see list below), feeding internally for two or three years in the stems and branches before emerging to pupate under the bark. They can be a pests in fruit production.[8]
Capinera, J. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Entomology, 4 vol., 2nd Ed., Dordrecht, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2008, pp. lxiii + 4346, ISBN978-1-4020-6242-1, LCCN 2008930112, OCLC 837039413.
Lieutier F., Day K. R., Battisti A., Grégoire J.-C. and Evans H. F. (Eds.), Bark and Wood Boring Insects in Living Trees in Europe, a Synthesis, ristampa 1ª ed., Dordrecht; Boston, Springer; Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2007 [2004], pp. xiv, 569, ISBN978-1-4020-2240-1, LCCN 2004051536, OCLC 55645086.
Scoble, M. J., The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity, 2nd ed., London, Oxford University Press & Natural History Museum, 2011 [1992], pp. xi, 404, ISBN978-0-19-854952-9, LCCN 92004297, OCLC 25282932.
Stehr, F. W. (Ed.), Immature Insects, 2 vol., Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1991 [1987], pp. ix, 754, ISBN978-0-8403-3702-3, LCCN 85081922, OCLC 13784377.
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