Kingdom Animalia Order Lepidoptera Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | Class Insecta Family Noctuidae Genus Gortyna | |
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Similar Polymixis polymita, Leucochlaena oditis, Atethmia ambusta, Spodoptera cilium | ||
Gortyna xanthenes, the artichoke moth, is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It was described by Ernst Friedrich Germar in 1842. It is found on the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Malta as well as in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece.
The wingspan is 50–60 mm. The forewings are greyish yellow with a dark brown terminal band with yellow spots. The hindwings are smoky. There is one generation per year with adults on wing from October to mid-November.
The larvae are a pest on artichokes. Early instars feed on the upper epidermis of the leaves. Later, they penetrate the veins and finally eat through the center of the stem and reach the head where they form large galleries. Pupation takes place within this gallery.
