Insects - Pests of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Flowers - page 280

714 715

714 Brown china-mark moth ( Elophila nymphaeata ). 715 Larva of jasmine moth ( Palpita vitrealis ).

Duponchelia fovealis (Zeller)
Marshland pyralid moth
An invasive Mediterranean species, associated mainly
with aquatic and waterside plants; also present in the
Canary Islands. Currently posing a threat to greenhouse-
grown crops in other parts of the world, including
northern Europe and North America. Cultivated
ornamental hosts include the aquatics Aponogeton ,
Ophiopogon and water trumpet ( Cryptocoryne ), as well
as Begonia , busy lizzie ( Impatiens ), Cyclamen , Gerbera ,
Heuchera , Kalanchoe , poinsettia ( Euphorbia
pulcherrima ) and sea lavender ( Limonium ); cuttings of
pithy shrubs such as elder ( Sambucus ) are also attacked.

Elophila nymphaeata (Linnaeus) ( 714 )
Brown china-mark moth
A generally common pest of aquatic plants, including
bur-reed ( Sparganium ), frog-bit ( Hydrocharis morus-
ranae ), pondweed ( Potamogeton ) and water-lilies.
Widespread in Europe.

DESCRIPTION
Adult: 20-22 mm wingspan; wings white, marked
irregularly with brown. Larva: up to 25 mm long;
creamy white, with a darker line down the back; head
and prothoracic plate mainly brown.

LIFE HISTORY
Adults occur from June to August, depositing eggs in
batches on the underside or at the edges of leaves of host
plants. Eggs hatch in about two weeks, and the young
larvae then burrow into the leaves to begin feeding.
They reappear about three days later, each constructing
a small, flat, oval case out of leaf fragments. Larvae
continue to feed on the surface of leaves throughout
July and August, replacing their case with a larger one
as necessary. In early September the larvae move to the
edge of the pond or stream, where they hibernate until
the spring. Larval cases are often common on water-lily
leaves. They also occur during larval development on
submerged parts of host plants, the larvae surviving on
air trapped within the confines of their habitations.
When larvae are not feeding, cases float freely on the
surface of the water. Fully fed larvae pupate in the early
summer within silken cocoons, into which fragments of
leaf are incorporated, spinning up to a convenient leaf or
stem a few centimetres above the water level.

DESCRIPTION
Adult: 19-21 mm wingspan; olive-brown, each fore
wing with two pale, sinuous crosslines, the outer of
which includes a characteristic U-shaped outwardly
directed projection. Larva: up to 20 mm long; body
semi-translucent, creamy white to pinkish white, with
numerous greyish to blackish dorsal plates; head,
prothoracic and anal plates shiny black.

LIFE HISTORY
Adults occur mainly in May and June, but also later in the
year. Eggs are laid singly or in small groups, and hatch
about a week later. Larvae then feed on hosts, their habita-
tions typically protected by silken webbing. Individuals
are fully grown in about a month. They then pupate in
strong oval cocoons formed on host plants or in sheltered
situations nearby. New adults appear a few weeks later.
The pest appears unable to survive cold winters, and is
unlikely to persist outdoors in northern Europe.

DAMAGE
Larvae attack the leaves and flowers of hosts. They also
bore into the base and crowns of plants, which then wilt
and may subsequently die.

DAMAGE
Infested leaves are extensively holed and often become
ragged. Damaged tissue also rots and becomes unsightly.