Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Gracillariidae Scientific name Philodoria hauicola | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Philodoria Rank Species | |
The hau leaf miner (Philodoria hauicola) is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii.
The larvae feed on Hibiscus tiliaceus. They mine the leaves of their host plant. As many as 60 mines can be found in a single large leaf. The larva emerges from the mine to form an oval, white cocoon, usually on the upper leaf surface, but it may also be formed on nearby objects.
References
Philodoria hauicola Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA