Mestolobes pyropa
Encyclopedia
Mestolobes pyropa is a moth
of the Crambidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
and Molokai
.
The larvae feed on Peperornia species, including Peperomia pachyphylla. It is thought they mine
the leaves of their host plant. Although the Peperomia leaves are thick, one leaf does not provide enough food for the caterpillar. After consuming all of the mesophyll of one leaf, the larva breaks through the epidermis and eats its way into another leaf to finish its growth, and a third leaf may also be attacked. This behaviour sets it apart from most leafminers, which remain in a single leaf while growing.
Adults have been taken at Hoya
flowers.
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 Crambidae
Crambidae
The Crambidae are the grass moth family of Lepidoptera . They are quite variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae taking up closely folded postures on grass-stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies include brightly coloured and patterned insects which rest in...
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...
and 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...
.
The larvae feed on Peperornia species, including Peperomia pachyphylla. It is thought they mine
Leaf miner
Leaf miner is a term used to describe the larvae of many different species of insect which live in and eat the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths , sawflies and flies , though some beetles and wasps also exhibit this behavior.Like Woodboring beetles, leaf...
the leaves of their host plant. Although the Peperomia leaves are thick, one leaf does not provide enough food for the caterpillar. After consuming all of the mesophyll of one leaf, the larva breaks through the epidermis and eats its way into another leaf to finish its growth, and a third leaf may also be attacked. This behaviour sets it apart from most leafminers, which remain in a single leaf while growing.
Adults have been taken at Hoya
Hoya
Hoya is a genus of 200-300 species of tropical plants in the family Apocynaceae , fomerly considered to be in the Asclepiadaceae...
flowers.