Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Leucinodes
Species: L. cordalis
Binomial name: Leucinodes cordalis
Synonyms: Sceliodes cordalis, Margaritia cordalis, Daraba extensalis, Eretria obsistalis, Sceliodes mucidalis.
Common name: Poroporo fruit borer, Eggfruit caterpillar moth.
Leucinodes cordalis (was Sceliodes cordalis) is a species of moth in the Crambidae family and is native to New Zealand and found throughout the North Island, in the South Island it is found in Nelson and Marlborough, and in coastal or near coastal areas of the Canterbury and Otago down to Dunedin. It is also present in Australia and Indonesia.
Its larval host plants are Solanum melongena, Solanum muricatum, Solanum aviculare, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum esuriale, Solanum americanum, Solanum tuberosum, Capsicum annuum, Datura wrightii and Datura stramonium. In New Zealand, the two main native host plants are Solanum aviculare and Solanum laciniatum.
The moth which emerges in November and December has forewings that are 13.5–20 mm long. The forewings are off-white with brown tips, as well as a pattern of pale brown blotches. The adult moths have distinctive pale brown triangular wings and their abdomens are always curled upwards. There are two generations per year in New Zealand. The larvae are bright pink and reach a length of about 20 mm and they bore into the fruit of their host plant and feed on the flesh and seeds.
For more details on this moth Visit:http://nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/factsheet/OrganismProfile/Poroporo_fruit_borer_-_Sceliodes_cordalis.html
The upturned abdomen is a characteristic feature of this moth.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
