Melittia oedipus

Melittia oedipus, the African vine borer, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It originates from Africa (where it is known from Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya), but has been introduced in Hawaii to control ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis).

Damage

Melittia oedipus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Sesiidae
Genus: Melittia
Species:
M. oedipus
Binomial name
Melittia oedipus
Synonyms
  • Melittia ignidiscata Hampson, 1910
  • Melittia oedipoides Strand, 1913
  • Melittia thoracalis Strand, 1916

The wingspan is 10–15 mm.

The larvae feed on Coccinia grandis.

References
  1. Afro Moths


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.