Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Gracillariidae Scientific name Philodoria hibiscella | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Philodoria Rank Species | |
The hibiscus leaf miner (Philodoria hibiscella) is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Hawaii.
The larvae feed on Hibiscus arnottianus and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine starts towards the base of the leaf, proceeding upward irregularly and following the margin for a part of the course, eventually reaching the apex, then following down the opposite margin of the leaf and rapidly widening until the larva has finished its growth. Full-grown larvae are about 9 mm long and pale bluish-green.
The larva breaks through the epidermis to form a white oval cocoon on the surface of the leaf. The pupa is 5 mm long and pale testaceous-greenish. The pupal stage lasts about a week.