Cnaphalocrocis acerrimalis Walker
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Spilomelinae
- Genus: Cnaphalocrocis
- Distribution: India (Sikkim), Thailand, Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia (Java), China, Korea.
- Habitat: Solomon Is.
- Wing Length: 6.5mm
Taxonomy
The holotype of Botys acerrimalis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1449 is from Java.
It is possibly another junior subjective syn. of Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée 1854: 201. Certainly the fasciation of the holotypes appear almost identical. The genitalia of the types should be compared.
Description
A coppery yellow and brown sp. FW with straight transverse submedian and postmedian purplish-brown lines angled from the costa. The FW subcosta is dark brown as is a broad band subtermenally. On the HW this subtermenal band narrows towards the tornus. The FW has a c-shaped stigma in the cell. In the males this is close to a curling brown tuft of scent scales in the subcosta. A few specimens in the BMNH series have the FW lines slightly less straight. As well as the male type we show one of those.
Life History
The larvae of most Cnaphalocrocis spp. feed on grasses (Graminaceae) and some are serious crop pests.
References
- Guenée, A. (1854) Deltoïdes et pyralites. In Boisduval, J.A. & Guenée, A., Hist. nat. des Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid.) Vol. 8, 448pp. + 10 pls., Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret: Paris.
- Walker (1865 [1866 Jan 13]) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 34, (Suppl. 4): 1121-1533.