Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Herpetogramma licarsisalis

Tropical Grass-moth

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult	78KB
Image:	Adult (2)	77KB
Image:	Specimen (Rarotonga)	45KB
Image:	Specimen (wings displayed)	34KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Tropical Grass-moth

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: Old World Tropics - Cooks - ?French Polynesia; ?Hawai‘i; s. to n.NZ

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

KEY FEATURES: Small moth (12mmTL) greyish brown.

Enlarged Image of 'Herpetogramma licarsisalis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Scientific Taxonomy

Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker)
SYNONYMS: Psara licarsisalis

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; ATELOCERATA; HEXAPODA; INSECTA; PTERYGOTA; Lepidoptera; CRAMBIDAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: Small moth (12mmTL) greyish brown. Wings greyish brown, darker at margins, with bronze iridescence; single cell spot on fore wings; sometimes thin submarginal line present. Underside similar to upper surface. Head, Thorax, Abdomen and Legs as background colour. Antennae darker.

GENERAL NOTE: Biology: Caterpillars feed on grasses, living in shelters at the base of grass clumps, (or of swards,as in kikuyu); can be ver abundant and cause severe turf defoliation. Adults abundant, nocturnal.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: BESO99, specimen #106, 247, 503, ID J.Dugdale 4/2000.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM04a, 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