Melitara prodenialis
Encyclopedia
Melitara prodenialis is a moth
of the Pyralidae
family. It is native to North America
, where it is known from south-eastern New York
to Florida
along the Atlantic coastal plain, and west to eastern Oklahoma
and north-central and south-eastern Texas
. It is an introduced species in Hawaii
.
There are two generations per year throughout most of its range, but three generations in Florida. Adults are on wing from June to July and from September to October in Arkansas.
The larvae feed on Opuntia
species, including Opuntia humifusa var. ammophila, Opuntia humifusa var. austrina, Opuntia macrorhiza, Opuntia pusilla, Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia sticta. Larvae are gregarious within the cladode, and may feed in several clododes to complete development.
Pupation occurs in a silken cocoon on the surface of the soil under a dead cladode or other debris.
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 Pyralidae
Pyralidae
The Pyralidae or snout moths are a family of Lepidoptera in the ditrysian superfamily Pyraloidea. In many classifications, the grass moths are included in the Pyralidae as a subfamily, making the combined group one of the largest families in the Lepidoptera...
family. It is native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, where it is known from south-eastern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
along the Atlantic coastal plain, and west to eastern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and north-central and south-eastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is an introduced species in 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...
.
There are two generations per year throughout most of its range, but three generations in Florida. Adults are on wing from June to July and from September to October in Arkansas.
The larvae feed on Opuntia
Opuntia
Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus , is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae.Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider...
species, including Opuntia humifusa var. ammophila, Opuntia humifusa var. austrina, Opuntia macrorhiza, Opuntia pusilla, Opuntia dillenii and Opuntia sticta. Larvae are gregarious within the cladode, and may feed in several clododes to complete development.
Pupation occurs in a silken cocoon on the surface of the soil under a dead cladode or other debris.