Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Geometridae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Ectropis | |
Similar Ectropis, Biston suppressaria, Eucalyptus obliqua, Biston panterinaria, Ascotis | ||
Ectropis obliqua hypulina wehrli
Ectropis obliqua (Prout) is a species of moth in the order Lepidoptera and family Geometridae.
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Description
The larva body surface is smooth, with only 6 abdominal and hip section on foot, trunk when a flexor stretching, commonly known as back arched bug or gauge.
Infestation of tea plants
E. obliqua is one of the most destructive pest insects on tea plants throughout growing areas of this crop in southern China, causing widespread damage in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces. Larvae feed solely on shoots and leaves of C. sinensis and occur in six or seven overlapping generations throughout the growing season of tea plants.
Infestations of tea plants may be treated by removing the pupa stage of the E. obliqua life cycle, through predation by chickens, manual removal of larvae, chemical treatments, or biological control (e.g. with tea looper karyotype virus).
Associated viruses
The Ectropis obliqua picorna-like virus (EoPV) has been isolated from E. obliqua larvae.