Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Cosmopterigidae Scientific name Hyposmocoma ekaha | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Hyposmocoma Rank Species | |
Similar Asplenium nidus, Asplenium, Aspleniaceae, Metrosideros polymorpha, Metrosideros | ||
Hyposmocoma ekaha is a species of moth of the Cosmopterigidae family. It is endemic to Oahu, Hawaii. The type locality is the Halawa Valley.
The larvae feed on Asplenium nidus.
This moth occurs wherever the fern is found in the mountain valleys of Oahu. The larvae feed on the under surface of the frond, leaving the upper epidermis intact, which dries and gives the frond the appearance of having numerous dead patches. The older larvae also bore into the rachis, and each has a tunnel of silk and frass extending out onto the frond to its feeding place. It apparently hides in the bored rachis except when out feeding
References
Hyposmocoma ekaha Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA