Etiella behrii
Etiella behrii (Zeller, 1848) - (lucerne seed web moth)
This moth is found in Asia and Australia. The larvae bore into the pods of various leguminous crops like lentils, soybean or lucerne. They feed on the developing seeds. Usually, the damage only becomes apparent during harvest. Although, in most cases, the seeds are only partially eaten, the damage results in breakage of seeds and downgrading of the harvest. If more than 1% of the seeds are damaged the grain is unsaleable. Control is difficult since the larvae are protected inside the pods.
The moth has a wingspan of about 20-25 mm and a prominent snout. The forewings are greyish brown with a cross-band and a white longitudinal stripe near the margin. The larvae have a cream or light green colour with brownish elongated marks. They become reddish when mature. There are 2-3 generations per year.
Publications covering Etiella behrii
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (1999) 91, 413-420
Sadao Wakamura, Makoto Hattori, Kazunori Igita, Koji Yasuda and Tridjaka (1999)
Sex pheromone of Etiella behrii, a pod borer of soybean in Indonesia: identification and field attraction
- Other images of Etiella behrii (PaDIL - click to enlarge)
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forewing
