Spheterista flavocincta
Encyclopedia
Spheterista flavocincta is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is endemic to Oahu
and Hawaii
.
It is a highly variable species.
The larvae feed on Santalum
species, including Santalum freycinetianum
. They occur on webbed leaves of their host plant. Full-grown larvae are about 8 mm long and pale green.
The pupa is 5 mm long and pale greenish or yellowish. The pupa is formed within the folded-over edge of a leaf. The pupal period lasts about a week.
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...
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...
.
It is a highly variable species.
The larvae feed on Santalum
Santalum
Santalum is a genus of woody flowering plants, the best known and commercially valuable of which is the Indian Sandalwood tree, S. album. Members of the genus are trees or shrubs. Most are root parasites which photosynthesize their own food but tap the roots of other species for water and...
species, including Santalum freycinetianum
Santalum freycinetianum
Santalum freycinetianum, Iliahi or Freycinet sandalwood, is a species of flowering tree in the European mistletoe family, Santalaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Its binomial name commemorates Henri Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet, a 19th-century French explorer...
. They occur on webbed leaves of their host plant. Full-grown larvae are about 8 mm long and pale green.
The pupa is 5 mm long and pale greenish or yellowish. The pupa is formed within the folded-over edge of a leaf. The pupal period lasts about a week.