Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Laetilia coccidivora (Comstock, 1879)
Original Combination:
Dakruma coccidivora Comstock, 1879; Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture 1879:
241
Synonyms:
Dakruma pallida Comstock, 1879; Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture 1879:
243
Zophodia dilatifasciella Ragonot, 1887 (at one time synonymized with
coccidivora and later re-elevated to species level)
Laetilia hulstii Cockerell, 1897; in Dyar (1904) Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 6 (4):
228
Atascosa quadricolorella Dyar, 1904; Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 6 (2):
116
Laetilia cardini Dyar, 1918; Insecutor Inscitiae Menstruus 6 (7-9):
139
* phylogenetic sequence #177000
Size
wingspan 10-18mm (Comstock, 1879)
mature larvae to 12 mm (Comstock, 1879)
Food
larvae are predatory, feeding on the eggs and young of cochineal scale insects (
Dactylopius), sometimes supplemented with cactus flowers (Mann, 1969).
Remarks
Uses carminic acid acquired from its food as a defense against predators (Eisner et. al., 1994)
See Also
Laetilia dilatifasciella - a closely related western species.
Print References
Comstock, J.H. 1879. On a new predaceous lepidopterous insect. North American Entomologist. 1 (4):
26–28, pl. 4
Eisner, T., R. Ziegler, J. L. McCormick, M. Eisner, E. R. Hoebeke and J. Meinwald. 1994. Defensive use of an acquired substance (carminic acid) by predaceous insect larvae. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 50 (6):
610-615
Mann, John (1969) Cactus-Feeding Insects and Mites; USNM Bull. 256, p.
30Internet References
Florida Entomology. Picture of a caterpillar feeding on scale insects.
BOLD Systems - images of pinned DNA supported specimens
(2)
