Numbers
the only species in this genus in North America
Identification
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
Season
adults fly from June to August
Food
young larvae feed on the leaves of mint (Mentha spp.); older larvae feed on the roots and rhizomes of the same plants
Life Cycle
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
Remarks
can be a serious pest to commercial mint growers
Internet References
biology and control (North Carolina State U.)
live prepupa image (Oregon State U.)
live adult image (Oregon State U.)