Philodoria hibiscella

Philodoria hibiscella, the hibiscus leaf miner, is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It was first described by Otto Swezey in 1913. It is endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Hawaii.

Philodoria hibiscella
Scientific classification
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P. hibiscella
Binomial name
Philodoria hibiscella
(Swezey, 1913)
Synonyms
  • Gracilaria hibiscella Swezey, 1913
  • Parectopa hibiscella

The larvae feed on Hibiscus arnottianus and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts towards the base of the leaf, proceeding upward irregularly and following the margin for a part of the course, eventually reaching the apex, then following down the opposite margin of the leaf and rapidly widening until the larva has finished its growth. Full-grown larvae are about 9 mm long and pale bluish green.

The larva breaks through the epidermis to form a white oval cocoon on the surface of the leaf. The pupa is 5 mm long and pale testaceous greenish. The pupal stage lasts about a week.

  • Zimmerman, Elwood C. (1978). Insects of Hawaii. 9 Microlepidoptera. The University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu. hdl:10125/7338.


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