Athetis thoracica
Encyclopedia
Athetis thoracica is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found all over the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics. It was first recorded from Hawaii
in the early 1900s. It is believed to have been accidentally introduced from Fiji
. It is now present on Kauai
, Oahu
, Molokai
, Maui
and Hawaii
.
Larvae have been recorded on Commelina
, Ipomoea
, Syzygium
, Portulaca
, Nicotiana
, Camellia
and unspecified Gramineae and Leguminosae species.
The first instar larvae are about 2 mm long and blackish with prominent setae, they move in semi-Looper fashion. The second instar is mottled reddish green. Later instars are mottled greenish and blackish with some red, and with subdorsal white lines. Instars become progressively darker and more variegated with black brown, olive green, yellow and white.
The pupa is formed in the soil, just below the surface. It is 13-15 mm long and uniform
medium brown. The pupal period last for 12 to 14 days.
has been applied consistently to specimens that are in fact the more widespread species Athetis thoracica.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found all over the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics. It was first recorded from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in the early 1900s. It is believed to have been accidentally introduced from Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. It is now present on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
, Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
and Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
.
Larvae have been recorded on Commelina
Commelina
Commelina is a genus of approximately 170 species commonly called dayflowers due to the short lives of their flowers. They are less often known as widow's tears. It is by far the largest genus of its family, Commelinaceae...
, Ipomoea
Ipomoea
Ipomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. Most of these are called "morning glories", but this can refer to related genera also. Those formerly separated in Calonyction are called "moonflowers"...
, Syzygium
Syzygium
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific...
, Portulaca
Portulaca
Portulaca is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, comprising about 40-100 species found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are also sometimes known as Rose Moss or more commonly Moss Roses....
, Nicotiana
Nicotiana
Nicotiana is a genus of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, Australia, south west Africa and the South Pacific. Various Nicotiana species, commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are cultivated and grown to produce tobacco. Of all Nicotiana species,...
, Camellia
Camellia
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
and unspecified Gramineae and Leguminosae species.
The first instar larvae are about 2 mm long and blackish with prominent setae, they move in semi-Looper fashion. The second instar is mottled reddish green. Later instars are mottled greenish and blackish with some red, and with subdorsal white lines. Instars become progressively darker and more variegated with black brown, olive green, yellow and white.
The pupa is formed in the soil, just below the surface. It is 13-15 mm long and uniform
medium brown. The pupal period last for 12 to 14 days.
Taxonomy
The name Athetis nonagricaAthetis nonagrica
Athetis nonagrica is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sulawesi and New Guinea.-Taxonomy:The name nonagrica has been applied consistently to specimens that are in fact the more widespread species Athetis thoracica.-External links:*...
has been applied consistently to specimens that are in fact the more widespread species Athetis thoracica.