Species Fumibotys fumalis - Mint Root Borer - Hodges#4950

4950

the only species in this genus in North America

wingspan 20 mm

larva to 19 mm

Adult: forewing orangish to light brown with AM line shaped like an arc, and PM line shape like a sine wave; large diffuse dark patch near middle of wing between AM and PM lines

Larva: young larva is 2-3 mm long, yellow to light green with dark stripes down the back; older larva is up to 19 mm long, yellow-tan with a red-brown head

much of North America

adults fly from June to August

young larvae feed on the leaves of mint (Mentha spp.); older larvae feed on the roots and rhizomes of the same plants

overwinters in the soil around mint roots as a prepupa; pupates in the spring and emerges as a moth in June and July; larvae hatch from eggs deposited on the undersides of leaves and feed for a short time before moving into the soil to feed inside the rhizomes; continued feeding eventually kills the mint plant

can be a serious pest to commercial mint growers

biology and control (North Carolina State U.)

live prepupa image (Oregon State U.)

live adult image (Oregon State U.)

live larva image (U. of Idaho)

Moth Photographers Group (MPG) (1)

The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) (2)