Schrankia howarthi
Encyclopedia
Schrankia howarthi is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It normally occurs within the twilight to dark zone areas of lava tubes on the islands of Maui
and Hawaii
, however, it is sometimes found flying on the surface of both islands. The paler morph may be restricted to the dark zone of lava tubes.
The length of the forewings is 4-8 mm. Adults and larvae are active throughout the year.
The larvae mainly feed on the roots of Metrosideros polymorpha
, the dominant native rainforest tree and early pioneer on new lava flows. However, cocoons and feeding damage have been observed on most types of available roots in caves, including Grevillea robusta
, Eucalyptus
species, Cocculus orbiculatus, pasture grasses and many unidentified roots. Larvae are also attracted to a variety of rotting baits and appear to act as scavengers in caves.
Bishop Museum who has pioneered Hawaiian biospeleogy. Dr Howarth first discovered this 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 Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It normally occurs within the twilight to dark zone areas of lava tubes on the islands of Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
and Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, however, it is sometimes found flying on the surface of both islands. The paler morph may be restricted to the dark zone of lava tubes.
The length of the forewings is 4-8 mm. Adults and larvae are active throughout the year.
The larvae mainly feed on the roots of Metrosideros polymorpha
Metrosideros polymorpha
The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
, the dominant native rainforest tree and early pioneer on new lava flows. However, cocoons and feeding damage have been observed on most types of available roots in caves, including Grevillea robusta
Grevillea robusta
Grevillea robusta, commonly known as the southern silky oak or Silky-oak, or Australian Silver-oak, is the largest species in the genus Grevillea. It is a native of eastern coastal Australia, in riverine, subtropical and dry rainforest environments receiving more than 1,000 mm per year of...
, Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
species, Cocculus orbiculatus, pasture grasses and many unidentified roots. Larvae are also attracted to a variety of rotting baits and appear to act as scavengers in caves.
Etymology
The species is named in honour of Dr. Frank Howarth, an entomologist at the Bernice P.Bishop Museum who has pioneered Hawaiian biospeleogy. Dr Howarth first discovered this species.