Biology:Calyptra minuticornis

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Short description: Species of moth

Vampire moth
Calyptra minuticornis.jpg
Dorsal view
DSK5763 Calyptra minuticornis (26798383741).jpg
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Calyptra
Species:
C. minuticornis
Binomial name
Calyptra minuticornis
(Guenée, 1852)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Calpe minuticornis Guenée, 1852
  • Calpe novaepommeraniae Strand, 1919

Calyptra minuticornis, the vampire moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It has been found in Indonesia, Java, India , Sri Lanka, and Australasia.[3]

Description

Its wingspan is about 50 mm. The antennae of the male are minutely ciliated. Forewings with rounded outer margin.[4] Head and thorax pale reddish brown and thickly irrorated with grey. Abdomen pale fuscous. Forewings with pale red-brown with a silvery sheen and numerous fine pale striae. There are traces of sub-basal, antemedial, and medial oblique line present. A rufous line runs from apex to inner margin beyond middle. A series of submarginal specks present. Hindwings pale fuscous and cilia whitish. Larva olive-grey with a sub-dorsal series of black-bordered yellow spots. A sub-lateral series of specks enclosed from fourth somite by a pinkish bordered black line. Head ochreous, with paired lateral black spots. Legs pale pink.[5]

The caterpillar feeds on Stephania japonica, Cissampelos, Cocculus and Cyclea species. It pupates in a cocoon between joined dead leaves in ground debris. The adult is a fruit piercer and also observed to pierce skins of buffalo, zebu, tapir and even humans in labs to suck blood.[6][7]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q5024714 entry