Eggplant Leafroller Moth

Description:

AKA Nightshade Leaftier. The wingspan is about 18 mm. The adult forewing is light brown, long and slender with pointed apex; dark brown arc begins at inner margin about one-third distance from base, and ends in subterminal area; white-outlined dark brown semicircular patch along costa near apex; inner margin concave near anal angle; hindwing grayish-brown; abdomen held in curved C shape over thorax when moth is at rest; legs very long and thin with small "ruffle" of scales near base of tibia on forelegs and midlegs.

Habitat:

Their range is southern United States (Florida to California), south to Chile; also recorded from Illinois, Michigan, and Ontario (perhaps imported along with nursery plants in the tomato family?) The larvae feed on plants in the tomato family (Solanaceae) such as eggplant (Solanum melongena), ground-cherry (Physalis spp.), pepper (Capsicum spp.), Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum), and garden tomato (Solanum lycopersicon).

Notes:

I had fun with this one and was surprised when it decided to land on my finger. Found at night on my wall near porch light. This one was only about a half inch in either direction. The noxious weed Tropical Soda Apple (Solanum viarum) was found moderately infested with Lineodes integralarvae in Orlando, Florida on 1 June 1995 by P. Courneya, USDA. (Carlos Artaud, Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services)