Spheterista cassia
Encyclopedia
Spheterista cassia is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
.
The larvae feed on Cassia gaudichaudii. They feed singly, eating the lower epidermis and parenchyma, leaving the upper epidermis. The fold together the leaflet with a web to create a hiding place, often along the midrib, sometimes a portion of the
margin of the blade is folded over, or contiguous leaflets are fastened together. Full-grown larvae are about 9 mm long and uniform leaf-green.
The pupa is formed in the larval retreat in a slight cocoon. It is about 5 mm long and greenish.
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 Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
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 larvae feed on Cassia gaudichaudii. They feed singly, eating the lower epidermis and parenchyma, leaving the upper epidermis. The fold together the leaflet with a web to create a hiding place, often along the midrib, sometimes a portion of the
margin of the blade is folded over, or contiguous leaflets are fastened together. Full-grown larvae are about 9 mm long and uniform leaf-green.
The pupa is formed in the larval retreat in a slight cocoon. It is about 5 mm long and greenish.