Order Butterflies and moths | Rank Species | |
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Similar Eterusia, Butterflies and moths, Chalcosiinae, Pidorus, Histia flabellicornis | ||
Eterusia aedea, the red slug caterpillar, is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in Sri Lanka, India, Taiwan, Japan and China.
Contents
Description
The wingspan is about 50 mm for males and 56 mm for females. They have a semi-diurnal habit and rather elongated narrow body. The first two segments of the abdomen are black, and there are no dorsal bands in male. The forewings are dark green. The basal black area of the hindwings is larger, reducing the width of the yellow band, which is very pale in color. The end of the abdomen is black in the male.
Ecology
The larvae have been recorded feeding on a wide range of plants, including Bischofia javanica, Aporosa lindleyana, Aporosa villosa, Cornus florida, Lagerstroemia, Melastoma candidum, Myrica rubra, Sloanea formosana, Rhododendron, Symplocos glauca, Camellia (including Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, Camellia sinensis, Camellia oleifera), Eurya japonica, Eurya septata, Cleyera japonica and Buddleja. The larvae of subspecies aedea, sinica, formosana, cingala and virescens have been reported as pests on tea.