Athetis thoracica

Athetis thoracica is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found all over the Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics. It was first recorded from Hawaii in the early 1900s. It is believed to have been accidentally introduced from Fiji. It is now present on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii.

Athetis thoracica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Athetis
Species:	A. thoracica
Binomial name
Athetis thoracica (Moore, 1884)
Synonyms
Radinacra thoracica Moore, 1884 Leucocosmia ceres Butler, 1886 Caradrina euthusa Hampson, 1891 Caradrina heliarcha Meyrick, 1897 Caradrina unipunctata Bethune-Baker, 1906 Leucocosmia nonagrica Walker auct. (Zimmerman, 1958; Robinson, 1975; Holloway, 1979)

Larvae have been recorded on Commelina, Ipomoea, Syzygium, Portulaca, Nicotiana, Camellia and unspecified Gramineae and Leguminosae species.

The pupa is formed in the soil, just below the surface. It is 13–15 mm long and uniform medium brown. The pupal period lasts for 12 to 14 days.

Taxonomy

The name Athetis nonagrica has been applied consistently to specimens that are in fact the more widespread species Athetis thoracica.

External links

• Moths of Borneo