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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Clearwing Moths (Sesioidea) » Clearwing Moths (Sesiidae) » Sesiinae » Melittiini » Melittia » Melittia calabaza - Hodges#2537 (Melittia calabaza)

Species Melittia calabaza - Hodges#2537

Classification · Hodges Number · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Range · Food · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Sesioidea (Clearwing Moths)

Family Sesiidae (Clearwing Moths)

Subfamily Sesiinae

Tribe Melittiini

Genus Melittia

Species calabaza (Melittia calabaza - Hodges#2537)

Hodges Number

2537

Other Common Names

Southwestern Squash Vine Borer

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Melittia calabaza Duckworth & Eichlin, 1973 (1)

* phylogenetic sequence #079475

Explanation of Names

Calabaza, a Spanish word derived from Persian, is a term applied to a variety of gourds and melons grown throughout the world.

Size

Forewing length 12-15 mm. (2)

Range

Tucson, Arizona; Dallas and Beaumont, Texas, south into Mexico - Map (MPG)(2)

Type Location: Teotihuacan, Mexico.

Food

Larval bore into the stems of pumpkins and squashes (Cucurbitaceae), including Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata, C. andreana, C. ficifolk, C. texana and C. okachobeensis. (2)

See Also

Melittia cucurbitae has a dark olive green second abdominal segment. Melittia calabaza has some orange on the second abdominal segment.

Print References

Duckworth, W.D & T.D. Eichlin 1973. New species of clearwing moths (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) from North America. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 75: 151-154 (1)

Duckworth, W.D & T.D. Eichlin 1978. The Clearwing Moths of California (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae). California Department Of Food and Agriculture Occasional Papers in Entomology 27: 1-80, f.1-40, pl.1-8 (PDF) (2)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

Works Cited

1.	New species of Clearwing Moths (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) from North America. W. Donald Duckworth & Thomas D. Eichlin. 1973. Proceedings of the Washington Entomological Society 75(2): 150-159.

2.	The Clearwing Moths of California (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae). W. Donald Duckworth & Thomas D. Eichlin. 1978. California Department Of Food and Agriculture Occasional Papers in Entomology 27: 1-80, f.1-40, pl.1-8.

Contributed by Tim Loh on 28 August, 2009 - 2:33pm
Additional contributions by Bob Patterson, Mike Quinn, Maury Heiman, Randy Hardy
Last updated 16 October, 2015 - 5:36pm

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