Cryptoblabes gnidiella

Cryptoblabes gnidiella, the honeydew moth or Christmasberry moth, is a moth of the family Pyralidae. It is natively found around the Mediterranean Sea and is an introduced species in South America and Middle America.

Honeydew moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Pyralidae
Genus:
Cryptoblabes
Species:
C. gnidiella
Binomial name
Cryptoblabes gnidiella
(Millière, 1867)
Synonyms
  • Ephestia gnidiella Millière, 1867
  • Cryptoblabes aliena Swezey, 1909
  • Albinia wockiana Briosi, 1877[1]

The wingspan is 11–20 mm. The caterpillars feed on oranges and other types of citrus fruit, apple and maize. The adults feed on honeydew, and their association with the Christmasberry (Brazilian pepper, Schinus terebinthifolius) seems to be mainly for that reason.

This species has been reported from several dozen host plants, including many cultivated plants, especially fruits (e.g. grapes, lemons, and pomegranates). It is considered a serious pest together with accompanying insects.

References
  1. Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Cryptoblabes gnidiella". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved April 20, 2018.

2. Dawidowicz, Łukasz & Rozwałka, Robert. (2016). POLISH JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY Honeydew Moth Cryptoblabes gnidiella (MILLIÈRE, 1867) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): an adventive species frequently imported with fruit to Poland. Polish Journal of Entomology. 85. 10.1515/pjen-2016-0010.


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