Ctenuchids on banana(?)

ernst neering Ernst.Neering at STAFF.TPE.WAU.NL
Tue Oct 7 01:30:13 EDT 1997


It happens every year somewhere in the temperate climate world, also in 
Europe, that day flying moths are found in imported bananas.
For banana pests see H.E. Ostmark 1974, Annual Review of Entomology Vol. 19, 
page 163-164: On banana in Central and northern South America, the most 
destructive defoliators are the Ctenuchids Ceramidia butleri, C. viridis 
(probably only a form of C. butleri) (Guatemala to Ecuador) and Antichloris 
eriphia (Colombia to Paraguay. C. musicola from Costa Rica is a synonym for 
C. butleri. (there probably are more recent reviews)

Steve Goldstein's moth may well be one of these (if needed I can send the 
descriptions as found in Hampson 1898 and Draudt in Dietz 1915), but Graham 
Dixon's is definitely not.

>From Graham's description I conclude that his moth must be in Macrocneme. The 
thick hairy legs are prominent in this genus. However all species only have 
white spots at the base of the wings, not yellow and not beyond the base!!!!! 
Are there white spots on the tips of the antennae?
Robert E. Dietz IV reviewed this genus. He wrote:
This genus is a remarkably uniform assemblage of blackish moths with blue to 
green iridescent wings that presumably mimic pompilid wasps. The color and 
pattern of iridescence, while diagnostic in some species, is too variable for 
reliable species recognition. The genitalia should always be examined for 
species determination. 
The phenotype is essentially the same for every species in this genus. The 
ground colour is brownish black, the hind legs are long and plumose, the 
wings are variously patterned with blue and/or green iridescence. All species 
possess white spots on the tips of the antennae, on the frons, at the base of 
the labial palpi, at the base of the wings (above and below), on the 
abdominal venter and pleura, and on the first abdominal tergite.
Larval host-plant assciations are scarce. Lantana sellowiana (Verbenaceae), 
Mikania amara (Compositae), Mesechites trifida (Apocynaceae) are mentioned, 
but not banana or other Musaceae.

So Graham, your moth probably just wandered into that bunch of bananas and 
was mature enough to finish its cycle. If your moth is well described above, 
you will have to dissect it for identification. For determination to species, 
see: Robert E. Dietz IV. 1994. Systematics and Biology of the Genus 
Macrocneme Hubner (Lepidoptera: Ctenuchidae). University of California 
Publications ENTOMOLOGY Volume 113, x + 121pp. +37 unnumbered pages with maps 
and figures.

Best of luck,

Ernst Neering


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