Trissodoris honorariella
Encyclopedia
The Pandanus Leaf Perforator or Pandanus Hole-cutter Moth (Trissodoris honorariella) is a small cosmet moth species
(family
Cosmopterigidae). It belongs to subfamily Cosmopteriginae and is the type species
of the genus
Trissodoris
. Baron Thomas Walsingham
in 1907 had specimens from both ends of the species' range – New Guinea
and the Pitcairn Island – which he described as separate species Stagmatophora honorariella and S. quadrifasciata in the same work. But his mistake was soon recognized, and when Edward Meyrick
established the genus Trissodoris in 1914, he choose the former name to be valid.
The habits of this moth have enabled it to be distributed far and wide by the native peoples of the Pacific. These people use the leaves of the moth's foodplant Pandanus
for the making of mats, baskets, and other items which for generations have accompanied voyaging islanders, and the moth has thus been widely dispersed by man.
Like many related cosmet moths, this species has a short scape
which bears a comb of hairs. They can be distinguished except from closely related species by their wing venation: in the forewings, vein 1b is not forked and veins 2-4 are separate, while veins 6-8 are not; the sixth and seventh vein branch off from the stalk of the eighth, while in some related genera the seventh and eighth share a single stalk.
, the Caroline Islands
of Micronesia
, New Guinea
and eastern Australia
; the reports from the Malay Archipelago
(Buru
in Indonesia
and Sarawak
in Malaysian Borneo
) and particularly Sri Lanka
probably represent more recent introductions or accidential records. But most of its range encompasses Polynesia
and adjacent Melanesia
, where it is found on the New Hebrides
, Fiji
, the Samoan Islands
, Tahiti
and perhaps other Society Islands
, Pitcairn Island, Rapa Iti
, and the Hawaiian Islands
(where it is found on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui
, Lanaʻi and the Big Island
). It is found mostly in the lowlands, where its foodplants grow best.
The caterpillar
larvae
feed on Pandanus
species, including Pandanus tectorius
. They are very long and slender and reach a length of about 15 mm. The larvae mine
the dead leaves of their host plant. When they reach maturity, they cut through both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Then they fasten the cut-out sections of leaf together to form their large pupal cases. The cases are usually pulled into the surrounding mined-out interior of the leaf, and this results in clean-cut, ovate holes being made which pass completely through the leaves.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
(family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cosmopterigidae). It belongs to subfamily Cosmopteriginae and is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Trissodoris
Trissodoris
Trissodoris is a genus of moth in the family Cosmopterigidae.-Species:*Trissodoris honorariella *Trissodoris pansella Bradley, 1957*Trissodoris thelma Clarke, 1971-References:*...
. Baron Thomas Walsingham
Thomas de Grey, 6th Baron Walsingham
Thomas de Grey, 6th Baron Walsingham was an English politician and amateur entomologist.-Biography:...
in 1907 had specimens from both ends of the species' range – New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and the Pitcairn Island – which he described as separate species Stagmatophora honorariella and S. quadrifasciata in the same work. But his mistake was soon recognized, and when Edward Meyrick
Edward Meyrick
Edward Meyrick FRS was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist. He was an expert on microlepidoptera and some consider him one of the founders of modern Microlepidoptera systematics....
established the genus Trissodoris in 1914, he choose the former name to be valid.
The habits of this moth have enabled it to be distributed far and wide by the native peoples of the Pacific. These people use the leaves of the moth's foodplant Pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
for the making of mats, baskets, and other items which for generations have accompanied voyaging islanders, and the moth has thus been widely dispersed by man.
Like many related cosmet moths, this species has a short scape
Scape
In biology, the term scape may refer to:* The first segment of an insect antenna* A finger-like appendage of the epigyne of a female spider* Scape , a flowering stemScape may also refer to:...
which bears a comb of hairs. They can be distinguished except from closely related species by their wing venation: in the forewings, vein 1b is not forked and veins 2-4 are separate, while veins 6-8 are not; the sixth and seventh vein branch off from the stalk of the eighth, while in some related genera the seventh and eighth share a single stalk.
Distribution and ecology
This moth is found all over the Pacific region. Its north- to southwestern limits are JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
of Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; the reports from the Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
(Buru
Buru
Buru is the third largest island within Maluku Islands of Malay Archipelago. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
in Malaysian Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
) and particularly Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
probably represent more recent introductions or accidential records. But most of its range encompasses Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
and adjacent Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
, where it is found on the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, the Samoan Islands
Samoan Islands
The Samoan Islands or Samoa Islands is an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and the wider region of Oceania...
, Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and perhaps other Society Islands
Society Islands
The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...
, Pitcairn Island, Rapa Iti
Rapa Iti
Rapa or Rapa Iti as it is sometimes called in more recent years , is the largest and only inhabited island of the Bass Islands in French Polynesia. An older name for the island is Oparo Its area is 40 km2 with a population of almost 500 and a max elevation of 650 m...
, and the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
(where it is found on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, 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,...
, Lanaʻi and the Big Island
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 found mostly in the lowlands, where its foodplants grow best.
The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
feed on Pandanus
Pandanus
Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 600 known species. They are numerous palmlike dioecious trees and shrubs native of the Old World tropics and subtropics. They are classified in the order Pandanales, family Pandanaceae.-Overview:...
species, including Pandanus tectorius
Pandanus tectorius
Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus that is native to Malesia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Common names include Thatch Screwpine, Hala , Bacua , and Vacquois ....
. They are very long and slender and reach a length of about 15 mm. The larvae 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 dead leaves of their host plant. When they reach maturity, they cut through both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Then they fasten the cut-out sections of leaf together to form their large pupal cases. The cases are usually pulled into the surrounding mined-out interior of the leaf, and this results in clean-cut, ovate holes being made which pass completely through the leaves.