Mango Shoot Borer Moth

Description:

Dark brown moth, about 10mm in body length. Penicillaria jocosatrix (Guenée, 1852), called the Mango Shoot Borer, is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Southeast Asia to the Pacific. Records include Borneo, Guam, Hawaii, Thailand and Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia. The wingspan is about 20 mm. Adults have dark forewings with black markings. The hindwings are white with a black spot and a broad dark border. The larvae feed on Mangifera indica, Anacardium occidentale, Schinus molle and Terminalia carolinensis. The larvae are translucent mauve, with greenish sides and tail, and are covered sparsely in red dots, with light brown head. Semper (1896-1902) illustrated the larva of Philippines jocosatrix as a spindle-shaped larva, the pale grey ground blotched with black and brown. It is considered an agricultural pest.

Habitat:

Backyard.