''Batrachedra arenosella'', the armoured scale eating caterpillar or the coconut moth, is a species of

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Batrachedridae The Batrachedridae are a small family of tiny moths. These are small, slender moths which rest with their wings wrapped tightly around their bodies. Taxonomy The taxonomy of this and related groups is often disputed. This group was first propos ...

. It was first described by Francis Walker using specimens collected in Auckland, New Zealand. It has been hypothesised that the New Zealand moth may contain two distinct species. As well as the moth species in New Zealand, this name has been applied, perhaps incorrectly, to moths found in

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 ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, the Malay Peninsula, and Réunion, as well as in Australia, from the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

and northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Taxonomy

''B. arenosella'' was first described by Francis Walker in 1864 using specimens collected in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand by Daniel Bolton. From 1924 this species name was also applied to moth species found in south east asian countries as well as in Australasia that are known to ingest the flowers of coconut trees. The application of this name to these moths has been argued to be incorrect as the New Zealand species is known to feed on scale insects. However the New Zealand moth species itself may well contain two separate species as larvae have been recorded as feeding not just on scale insects but have also been reared on the seed heads of '' Cyperus ustulatus''. The

syntype In biological nomenclature, a syntype is any one of two or more biological types that is listed in a description of a taxon where no holotype was designated. Precise definitions of this and related terms for types have been established as part of ...

series of specimens upon which Walker based his description can no longer be found in the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

and none of the specimens held by that museum are from the original type locality. Having investigated the specimens that are held by the Natural History Museum, John S. Dugdale was of the opinion that the genitalia of the New Zealand female specimens differ from the female Queensland specimen held by that institution.

Description

Walker originally described this species as follows:

Hosts

In New Zealand Dr J. G. Myers reported the larvae of this species feeding on a species of scale insect, '' Poliaspis media.'' Whereas

Edward Meyrick Edward Meyrick (25 November 1854, in Ramsbury – 31 March 1938, at Thornhanger, Marlborough) was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist. He was an expert on microlepidoptera and some consider him one of the founders of modern m ...

reported the larvae of this species feeding amongst the seeds of species in the genus ''

Juncus ''Juncus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants, commonly known as rushes. It is the largest genus in the family Juncaceae, containing around 300 species. Description Rushes of the genus ''Juncus'' are herbaceous plants that superfic ...

'' in August. The larvae were observed forming a web like shelter from which they fed. The larvae of the south east asian moths have been reported damaging flowers of coconut trees.

References

Batrachedridae Moths of Australia Moths described in 1864 Moths of Japan Moths of Réunion Moths of New Zealand Moths of Africa Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist) {{Batrachedridae-stub