Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Cosmopterigidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Hyposmocoma | |
Hyposmocoma carnivora is a species of moth of the Cosmopterigidae family. It is endemic to Hawaii.
The wingspan is 10.2–12 mm (0.40–0.47 in) for males and about 11.1 mm (0.44 in) for females.
The larvae have been reared on snails of the Tornatellides genus and pupae of Drosophila melanogaster. They have also been observed preying on other Hyposmocoma larvae and even cannibalise larvae of their own species. The larvae live in a larval case which has the form of an elongated structure with one entrance at each end. It is decorated with bits of sand, pebbles and plant fibers, finely woven between silk filaments. It is covered with orange beige scales probably deposited by the adults during emergence.
Etymology
The specific name is derived from the unusual and remarkable feeding habit of the caterpillars.