Episimus utilis
Encyclopedia
Episimus utilis is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is native to Brazil
, but has been introduced to Hawaii
in 1954 to aid in the control of Christmas berry or Brazilian peppertree.
The larvae feed in pods of Schinus terebinthifolius. They web together and feed upon the leaves of their host plant. Full-grown larvae are about 15 mm long and pale, sometimes tinged with reddish, or bright red.
The pupa is 6.5-7 mm long.
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 Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
family. It is native to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but has been introduced to 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 1954 to aid in the control of Christmas berry or Brazilian peppertree.
The larvae feed in pods of Schinus terebinthifolius. They web together and feed upon the leaves of their host plant. Full-grown larvae are about 15 mm long and pale, sometimes tinged with reddish, or bright red.
The pupa is 6.5-7 mm long.