Melittia cucurbitae
| Melittia cucurbitae | ||||||||||||
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Melittia cucurbitae |
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| Melittia cucurbitae | ||||||||||||
| Harris , 1828 |
Melittia cucurbitae is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe glass winged family (Sesiidae). The species is considered an economically important pest on pumpkins .
features
The moths reach a wingspan of 25 to 37 millimeters, with the males being slightly smaller than the females. They also have a stronger color and can be distinguished from the females by their more feathery antennae . The forewings have a metallic green coloring, the hind wings have such coloring only on the wing veins , otherwise they are transparent. The body of the animals is also shiny metallic green, the abdomen also has a more or less pronounced orange color. There are a number of black spots on the back. The moths have striking black and orange fringes on the middle and especially on the rear pair of legs.
The caterpillars are about 25 millimeters long and look quite similar to grubs with their cream-colored, wrinkled body and brown head capsule .
Occurrence
Melittia cucurbitae occurs in much of temperate North America , but is absent on the Pacific coast.
Way of life
The flight of the moths is slow and zigzag. Usually one generation flies per year, occasionally a partial second develops. A second generation is emerging in the warm southern United States .
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on different types and cultivars of the pumpkin ( Cucurbita ).
development
The females lay their oval, flattened eggs, which are pale red in color and about a millimeter in diameter, individually on the stems of the food plants. They are mostly found at the base of the main stem, rarely on petioles or on the underside of the leaves. After 9 to 14 days, the caterpillars hatch and immediately dig into the stem. They live inside the stem and develop within four to six weeks. You then leave the plant and go in search of a suitable place for wintering or pupation. Hibernation takes place as a fully-grown caterpillar within a 19 millimeter long cocoon covered with earth , which is laid two to 15 centimeters deep in the ground. Pupation does not take place until spring, the pupa is around 16 millimeters long and brown in color. The diurnal adults hatch in June and fly for about a month. In the evening you can find them resting in the vegetation.
Harmful effect
Since the caterpillars eat at the base of the stem, the infested plants are weakened and wither due to the impaired supply of water and nutrients. Sometimes more than 100 caterpillars can live in a plant, which in the event of such a strong infestation results in the plant dying off.
literature
- Celeste Welty: Squash Vine Borer . Ed .: The Ohio State University. 2009 ( PDF, 205kB [accessed on May 10, 2013]).
