Hyposmocoma abjecta
Encyclopedia
Hyposmocoma abjecta is a species of moth
of the Cosmopterigidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
. The type locality is Haleakala
.
The larvae have been recorded on dead Freycinetia
and other types of wood. The larva forms a regular elongate oblong-oval, brown case covered with frass
and bits of rotten wood.
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 Cosmopterigidae
Cosmopterigidae
Cosmopterigidae is a family of insects in the Lepidoptera order. These are small moths with narrow wings whose tiny larvae feed internally on the leaves, seeds, stems, etc of their host plants. There are about 1,500 described species...
family. It is endemic to 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...
. The type locality is Haleakala
Haleakala
Haleakalā , or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by the West Maui Mountains.- History :...
.
The larvae have been recorded on dead Freycinetia
Freycinetia
Freycinetia is a genus of about 150-180 species of flowering plants native to the tropics of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, belonging to the family Pandanaceae. The genus was named for Admiral Louis de Freycinet, a 19th-century French explorer...
and other types of wood. The larva forms a regular elongate oblong-oval, brown case covered with frass
Frass
Frass is the fine powdery material phytophagous insects pass as waste after digesting plant parts. It causes plants to excrete chitinase due to high chitin levels, it is a natural bloom stimulant, and has high nutrient levels. Frass is known to have abundant amoeba, beneficial bacteria, and fungi...
and bits of rotten wood.