Mapsidius iridescens
Encyclopedia
Mapsidius iridescens is a moth
of the Scythrididae
family. It is endemic to Kauai
.
It is immaculate, somewhat iridescent coloration of the forewings.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Charpentiera
species.
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 Scythrididae
Scythrididae
Scythrididae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The family is sometimes included in the Xyloryctidae as a subfamily Scythridinae, but the Xyloryctidae themselves have sometimes been included in the Oecophoridae as subfamily...
family. It is endemic to 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",...
.
It is immaculate, somewhat iridescent coloration of the forewings.
The larvae feed on the leaves of Charpentiera
Charpentiera
Charpentiera is a flowering plant genus in the pigweed family, Amaranthaceae. It consists of five species endemic to Hawaii, where they are known as pāpala, and one species found only on the island of Tubuai in the Austral Islands...
species.