Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Frans Griepink, (
F.C.Griepink@plant.wag-ur.nl )
(updated 8 October 2001)
eggs laid in a slit on the stem of a food plant (magnified).
The eggs of this Caterpillar are laid in some convenient place on a foodplant.
The Caterpillar is fawn with stripes and a darker head. It lives and feeds inside the stem of its food plant. This Caterpillar was introduced into Australia by unfortunate accident. It is an international pest on:
The Caterpillar also attacks the tubers as well as the stems and leaves of the plant. It grows to a length of about 1 cm.
It pupates amongst the debris of the attacked plant.
The adult moth is fawn with a dark mark on each fore wing. It has a wing span of about 2 cms.
The pheromones of this species have been elucidated.
The species may be controlled using Integrated Pest Management techniques.
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common, Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 135, 430.
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