Kingdom Animalia Family Noctuidae Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | Class Insecta Genus Heliocheilus Rank Species | |
Scientific name Heliocheilus albipunctella Similar Butterflies and moths, Coniesta ignefusalis, Habrobracon hebetor, Bracon, Rice moth | ||
The Millet Head Miner Moth (Heliocheilus albipunctella) is a moth in the Noctuidae family. It is found in the Sahelian region of West Africa.
The flight period of the adult moth coincides with the peak of millet panicle emergence and flowering, which is towards the end of August in southern Niger.
After hatching, caterpillars feed and complete their larval development within the panicle. During this period the seed head also grows and develops, passing from emergence through flowering to grain-filling and maturity. The early larval instars eat into individual florets, whilst larger larvae consume peduncles, thereby killing the developing grains, and creating mines around the rachis which are evident as characteristic raised tracks on the panicle surface. Full-grown caterpillars are pink. When mature they drop to the ground, where they burrow into the soil to pupate, usually close to the host plant.