Species Melitara prodenialis - Hodges#5970

5970

Eastern Pricklypear Borer

Melitara prodenialis Walker, 1863

original combination Melitara prodenialis Walker, 1863

synonym Zophodia bollii Zeller, 1872

* phylogenetic sequence #177750

se US (TX-FL-MD-KS) - Map (MPG), most common along the southeastern coastal plain (Neunzig, 1997).

Opuntia humifusa var. ammophila (Small), O. humifusa var. austrina (Small), O. macrorhiza Engelmann, O. pusilla (Haworth), O. dillenii (Ker-Gawler), and O. sticta (Haworth) (Neunzig, 1997).

Eggs are deposited in the form of an egg-stick, and each a female deposites an average of two eggsticks, each composed of about 30 eggs. Larvae are gregarious within the cladode, and may feed in several clododes to complete development. In Arkansas larvae overwinter as 1st-3rd instars (Carleton and Kring, 1994). Pupation occurs in a silken cocoon on the surface of the soil under a dead cladode or other debris. The species has two generations annually throughout most of its range, but has three generations annually in Florida. In Arkansas flight periods of adults are June-July and September-October (Carleton & Kring, 1994).

Melitara prodenialis can be differentiated from other species of the genus by having a porrect antenna (rather than weakly ascending), the terminal area of the forewing lacking a series of short black, longitudinal lines, and the postmedial line of the forewing shallowly angulate (rather than deeply angulate).

Mann, John (1969) Cactus-Feeding Insects and Mites; USNM Bull. 256, p.30

Carlton. C.E. & Kring, T.J. (1994) Melitara prodenialis Walker on prickly pear in Arkansas; Southwest Ent., 19(1): 23-31.

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum, Part 27, p.137 - description

Mississippi Entomological Museum - larvae description, range, food, life cycle