Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Pyralidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Fundella | |
Fundella pellucens, the Caribbean pod borer, is a species of snout moth in the genus Fundella. It was described by Zeller in 1848. It is found in Florida, Barbados, Haiti, Cuba, Montserrat, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Brazil (Bahia) and Bolivia.
The wingspan is about 20 mm. The forewings are dark grey and the hindwings are creamy white with darker margins. There are several generations per year with adults on wing year round in the tropics.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Vigna unquiculata, Canavalia ensiformis, Canavalia maritima, Cajan cajan, Phaseolus species (including Phaseolus lunatus) and Cassia occidentalis. Young larvae may initially feed on the flowers and continue feeding on immature legumes when they get older. There is also evidence that larvae may complete their entire development on the legumes only. They bore into the pods of their host plant and feed on the seeds. At times, legumes may be bound together with silk to form a shelter. Pupation takes place in the soil within a silk cocoon.