Kingdom Animalia Family Sesiidae Scientific name Melittia oedipus Rank Species | Class Insecta Genus Melittia Phylum Arthropoda Order Butterflies and moths | |
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Similar Melittia, Butterflies and moths, Coccinia, Sesiidae, Squash vine borer | ||
Melittia oedipus, the African vine borer, is a moth of the Sesiidae family. It originates from Africa (where it is known from Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya), but has been introduced in Hawaii to control ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis).
The wingspan is 10–15 mm.
The larvae feed on Coccinia grandis.
References
Melittia oedipus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA