Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Hymenia recurvalis

Beetworm Moth

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Two views	48KB
Image:	specimen	42KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Beetworm Moth, Hawaiian Beetworm

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: RANGE circumtropical and subtropical, incl. Cooks; s. to 41o S (Nelson, NZ)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; S.Group; ?; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Pest

KEY FEATURES: Small day-active moth (7mmTL) dark brownish black with white markings.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

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

Scientific Taxonomy

Hymenia recurvalis (Fabricius, 1775)
SYNONYMS: Spoladea recurvalis

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; ATELOCERATA; HEXAPODA; INSECTA; PTERYGOTA; Lepidoptera; PYRALIDAE. COMMENT: Sometimes in CRAMBIDAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: Small day-active moth (7mmTL) dark brownish black with white markings. Fore wings appearing black and white, with 2 white markings and 2 minute white spots; fringe dark brown also with 2 white flecks. Hind wings have a single white band. Underside similar to upper surface but paler. Head, Thorax and Abdomen dark brown with white bands between the segments.

GENERAL NOTE: Biology: Caterpillars on beets and amaranth (redshank, prince of wales weed), sometimes totally defoliating crop. Adults active both day and night.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen+photo, 1995, S.Montgomery, in BPBM; specimen+photo, BESO99, specimen #175, 257, 739 (and ?192a), ID J.Dugdale as Hymenia recurvalis 4/2000.

References:
Special Reference: PM79

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM05a, 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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List