Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Metephestia simplicula

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Class
  
Insecta

Family
  
Pyralidae

Phylum
  
Arthropoda

Order
  
Lepidoptera

Rank
  
Species

Genus
  
Metephestia Hampson in Ragonot, 1901

Metephestia simplicula is a species of snout moth, and the only species in the genus Metephestia. It was described by Zeller in 1881, and is known from Colombia., southern Florida, Puerto Rico and the West Indies.

There are several generations per year.

The larvae feed on Indigofera species, including Indigofera hirsuta, Indigofera suffruticosa and Indigofera tinctoria. Young larvae feed on unexpanded leaflets. Later, it ties together several leaflets with silk. They feed on the leaflets and bore into the petiolules of their host plant from within this shelter.

References

Metephestia simplicula Wikipedia