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Achaea janata

Castor-oil Moth

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult and caterpillar	47KB
Image:	Adult - two views	51KB
Image:	Caterpillar	73KB
Image:	Specimens (RR, BPBM)	80KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Castor-oil Moth, Castor-oil Looper, Croton Caterpillar

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Kauāpule (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: RANGE India - French Polynesia, Hawai‘i; Chile; n. to Taiwan, s. to NZ

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; S.Group - widespread; N.Group - present; Land, horticultural

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Cateripillar eats leaves of numerous plants

KEY FEATURES: Large moth (29mmTL) fore wings striped buff and brown, hind wings black with white patches marginally.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	P

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			+

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Pests & Hosts

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Relationship	Hosts
Herbivorous pest	Capsicum annuum sweet varieties, Citrus sinensis, Musa (AAA group),

Scientific Taxonomy

Achaea janata (Linnaeus)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; ATELOCERATA; HEXAPODA; INSECTA; PTERYGOTA; Lepidoptera; NOCTUIDAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Cateripillar eats leaves of numerous plants. Comments: Caterpillars feed on the leaves of bananas, capsicum, and on the young leaves of citrus. [Ref.g MoA Pest List] Also on Castor-oil Plant and on Croton among others [Forest Starr, Pestnet, 7/2005]. Also pierces fruits such as mango, guava and citrus [Linette Berukilukilu, Vanuatu, Pestnet, 7/2005]

IDENTIFICATION: Large moth (29mmTL) fore wings striped buff and brown, hind wings black with white patches marginally. Fore wings shades of brown demarcated by dark wavy lines, middle region usually palest with 2 black spots at distal end of cell; terminally greyish brown. Hind wings brownish black with white stripe in middle and 3 distal white patches. Underside greyish brown with black and white patches and indistinct line on hind wings. Head brown. Thorax brown with lighter band between wings. Abdomen and Legs greyish brown. Antennae dark brown; ¾ length of wings.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: BESO99, specimen #177, ID J.Dugdale 4/2000. Mangaia: fieldspecimen+photo, to light at Ivirua motel, 2006/5, G.McCormack with ID as Achaea janata. Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Achaea janata.

References:
Special Reference: PM79

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM04a, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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