Utetheisa ornatrix
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Utetheisa ornatrix (Linnaeus, 1758) - (ornate bella moth)
This species of tiger moth is found in the Americas. It is oligophagous, feeding mainly on Crotalaria, and can be a pest of crops. The caterpillars damage the developing pods and seeds, and high populations can reduce the yield. Leguminous Crotalaria species are planted for food, as a green manure, or for soil improvement.
The adult moth has a wingspan of around 4 cm, with colourful markings of orange, white and black dots. The insect contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids and the colouration is regarded to be a warning for potential predators (Ferro et al., 2006). The production of the courtship pheromone of males also depends on the Crotalaria pyrrolizidine alkaloids ingested by the caterpillars (Iyengar & Eisner, 2004).
| Vernacular names | |
|---|---|
| • English: | ornate bella moth |
| • Español: | polilla bella ornamentada |
