Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Gelechiidae Scientific name Crasimorpha infuscata | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Crasimorpha Rank Species | |
Similar Pergidae, Gelechiidae, Schinus, Schinus terebinthifolius | ||
Crasimorpha infuscata is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is native to Brazil, but has been purposely introduced to Hawaii in 1960-1961 to control Christmasberry. It seems the moth did not become established however.
The male has a small yellow subcostal brush on the hindwing.
The larvae feed on Schinus terebinthifolius. They bore into the terminal parts of the host and form galls. The larval attack thus reduces flowering and seed formation.
References
Crasimorpha infuscata Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA