''Banisia myrsusalis'', the sapodilla borer or sapota midrib folder, is a species of moth of the family

Thyrididae The Thyrididae comprise the family of picture-winged leaf moths. They are the only family in the superfamily Thyridoidea, which sometimes has been included in the Pyraloidea, but this isn't supported by cladistic analysis. Most species live in t ...

. It was described by Francis Walker in 1859 and is found in North America,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, southern Asia (

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

) and Africa (

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Description

The wingspan is about 2 cm. Palpi with the third joint of moderate length. Antennae nearly simple in both sexes. Outer margin of both wings nearly evenly curved. Body greyish brown, where some specimens with a slight red or pink tinge. Wings are somewhat lineally striated with dark brown. Forewings with the costa yellow. Cilia fuscous on forewing and white on hindwing. Ventral side is silvery grey where striae are prominent and chestnut brown in colour. Forewings with two brownish postmedial and one sub-apical patch.

Ecology

A host plant of this species is

sapodilla ''Manilkara zapota'', commonly known as sapodilla (), sapote, naseberry, nispero or chicle, is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán in the ...

(''Manilkara zapota''), a Sapotaceae. Total life cycle of a male and a female is experimentally proved about 40.8 ± 3.97 and 45.35 ± 4.08 days, respectively.

Subspecies

*''Banisia myrsusalis cinereola'' Felder, Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875 *''Banisia myrsusalis elaralis'' (Walker, 1859) *''Banisia myrsusalis sumatrensis'' Whalley, 1976

Host plants

*''

Manilkara zapota ''Manilkara zapota'', commonly known as sapodilla (), sapote, naseberry, nispero or chicle, is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán in the ...

'' *'' Mimusops elengi'' *''

Pouteria caimito ''Pouteria caimito'', the abiu (), is a tropical fruit tree originated in the Amazonian region of South America. It grows to an average of high, and can grow as high as under good conditions. Its fruits' shape varies from round to oval, poin ...

'' *''

Madhuca latifolia ''Madhuca longifolia'' is an Indian tropical tree found largely in the central, southern, north Indian plains and forests, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It is commonly known as madhūka, , mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, mahwa, , Iluppai or vippa che ...

'' *''

Terminalia tomentosa ''Terminalia elliptica'' is a species of ''Terminalia'' native to southern and southeast Asia in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.Sal and Saaj Deforestation in West Nepal"Terminalia Tomentosa"/ref> It is a ...

References

External links

Seasonal incidence of sapota midrib folder (''Banisia myrsusalis elearalis'' Walker) on different varieties of sapotaSapodilla borer moth photosBiology of leaf-folder (''Banisia myrsusalis elearalis'')New distributional and foodplant records
* {{Taxonbar , from=Q13583535 Thyrididae Lepidoptera of Mozambique Lepidoptera of South Africa Moths of Japan Moths of Madagascar Moths of Sub-Saharan Africa Moths described in 1859