Meganola brunellus

Meganola brunellus is a moth of the family Nolidae. It is found in Sri Lanka, India, Taiwan, Japan,^[1] the Ryukyu Islands, Sundaland, Queensland and the Bismarck Islands. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.

Meganola brunellus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Nolidae
Genus:	Meganola
Species:	M. brunellus
Binomial name
Meganola brunellus (Hampson, 1893)
Synonyms
Meganola brunella Roeselia brunellus Hampson, 1893 Roeselia brunella Manoba brunellus (Hampson, 1893) Manoba brunella Rhynchopalpus brunellus (Hampson, 1893) Rhynchopalpus brunella Selca brunellus Selca brunella Nola brunellus Nola brunella Nola achromia Hampson, 1909 Celamoides corticella van Eecke, 1926 Meganola pseudohypena Inoue, 1982

Taxonomy

The taxonomic placement of this species has been problematic. It has been included in the Arctiidae, Nolidae or Noctuidae. Poole transferred brunellus to Nola in 1989, but the male genitalia are atypical of this genus.

Description

Its wingspan is 21 mm. The head and thorax are white, slightly irrorated (sprinkled) with black and collar black banded. Abdomen brownish white. Forewings suffused with pale brown and black irrorated. Oblique antemedial and postmedial black specks series present. A marginal series of specks can be seen, with traces of a pale submarginal line visible. The brown suffusion very dark on costa before postmedial specks and on the margin, more prominent in some specimens than others. Hindwings white or ochreous.^[2]

Ecology

The larvae feed on Melastoma species, including Melastoma candidum, around forests or domestic areas.^[3]