Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Gesonia obeditalis

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Class
  
Insecta

Family
  
Noctuidae

Rank
  
Species

Phylum
  
Arthropoda

Order
  
Lepidoptera

Genus
  
Gesonia

Gesonia obeditalis httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Similar
  
Polydesma umbricola, Trigonodes hyppasia, Hypena laceratalis, Mocis frugalis, Trigonodes

Gesonia obeditalis is a species of moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from eastern Africa, the Seychelles, the Maldives and the Oriental tropics of India, Sri Lanka east to the Philippines, the Sula Islands and Australia. The adult moth has brown wings with a scalloped dark brown band near the margin. The hindwings are similar in pattern to the forewings but are a paler shade of brown.

Contents

Description

The wingspan is about 22–24 mm (0.87–0.94 in). Antennae of male serrate and fasciculated. Body fuscous or rufous brown. Palpi chocolate at sides. Fore wings with traces of antemedial and postmedial waved lines, where postmedial line curved inwards below cell. There are traces of specks in and at end of cell. An obliquely sinuous postmedial pale line found with rufous diffused on its outer edge with a marginal dark specks series. Hind wings with postmedial line developed towards inner margin. A marginal series of dark specks present. Traces of medial and submarginal lines can be seen. Some specimens have a dark spot beyond the postmedial line of fore wings at middle, and another above inner margin. Some has ochreous ground color in fore wings as far as submarginal line and another has color between antemedial and postmedial line fuscous black.

Life cycle

The larvae feed on Gramineae (grass) species, as well as Stylosanthes species. They live stretched on the stems of their host plant and feed on the flower spikes. Pupation takes place in a white, silken cocoon that incorporates debris. The larvae are light yellow with seven longitudinal brownish-orange bands. Two pairs of prolegs are missing so the caterpillar moves by looping.

References

Gesonia obeditalis Wikipedia