Euchromius ocellea explained

Euchromius ocellea, the necklace veneer or belted grass-veneer,[1] is a cosmopolitan migratory species of moth of the family Crambidae, first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1811. It has Hodges number 5454.[1]

Distribution

The species has a cosmopolitan distribution.[2] It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions,[3] while it is a rare migrant in some other parts of its range, such as the UK[4] and the Netherlands.[5]

Description and biology

Larva

Larvae of Euchromius ocellea have a white body with amber pinacula and a pale amber head, and grow to a length of 18–20 mm.[6] They feed on maize (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).[6]

Imago

Euchromius ocellea has a wingspan of 13–27 mm.[7] [3] The ground colour of the forewings was given by Schouten as creamy white with a dense suffusion of ochreous to dark brown scales;[7] while Goater described it as pale greyish ochreous.[3] The forewings have a number of markings, including two medial bands, a subterminal line, a white patch near the terminal area, and a number of black dots in the terminal area.[3] [7] Goater additionally mentions fine silver streaking on the entire wing; golden metallic spots near the black terminal dots; and, in male specimens, a semi-transparant patch on the basal side of the cell.[3] Schouten makes mention of a yellowish spot in the posterior area in some specimens.[7] The fringe is white with two lines, either brown[7] or black.[3]

In southern Africa, adults are on wing from October to April. In eastern Africa there seem to be two flight periods with adults on wing from November to February and again from June to July. In western Africa the flight period ranges from November to March.[7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Species Euchromius ocellea - Hodges#5454 . bugguide.net . 8 May 2023.
  2. Garre . Manuel . Girdley . John . Guerrero . Juan . Rubio . Rosa . Ortiz . Antonio S. . An annotated checklist of the Crambidae of the region of Murcia (Spain) with new records, distribution and biological data (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae) . Biodiversity Data Journal . 8 March 2021 . 9 . 10.3897/BDJ.9.e69388 . 8 May 2023 . en . 1314-2828. free .
  3. Book: Goater . Barry . British Pyralid Moths . 1986 . Harley Books . Colchester, Essex . 0 946589 08 9 . 22.
  4. Web site: Wall . Mike . 63.076 1289 Euchromius ocellea . Hants Moths - The Lepidoptera (Moths and Butterflies) of Hampshire and Isle of Wight . 8 May 2023.
  5. Web site: Muus . T.S.T . Euchromius ocellea (Haworth, 1811) . Microlepidoptera.nl, atlas van de kleine vlinders in Nederland . 8 May 2023.
  6. Capps . Hahn W. . Review of New World moths of genus Euchromius Guenée with description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) . Proceedings of the United States National Museum . 1966 . 119 . 3551 . 3-4 . 8 May 2023.
  7. Schouten . R.T.A. . Revision of the species of the genus Euchromius Guenée, 1845 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Crambinae) occurring in the Afrotropical region . Zoölogische Verhandelingen . 1988 . 244 . 38-40 . 8 May 2023.