''Cryptophlebia illepida'' is a species of moth in the family Tortricidae that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the islands of

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

Molokai Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length an ...

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

, Lānai and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. Common names include koa seedworm, klu tortricid, koa seed moth, litchi borer, litchi moth, macadamia nut borer and macadamia nut moth. It was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1882. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 12–25 mm. It is an extremely variable species. The larvae feed on a wide range of plants. Recorded food plants are '' Acacia confusa'', ''

Acacia farnesiana ''Vachellia farnesiana'', also known as ''Acacia farnesiana'', and previously ''Mimosa farnesiana'', commonly known as sweet acacia, huisache, or needle bush, is a species of shrub or small tree in the legume family, Fabaceae. Its flowers are use ...

'', '' Acacia koa'', '' Acacia koaia'', ''

Alectryon macrococcus ''Alectryon macrococcus'', known as ''Alaalahua'' or ''Māhoe'' in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering tree in the soapberry Soapberry is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * Plants in the genus ''Sapindus'', native to warm temp ...

'', '' Caesalpinia kavaiensis'', '' Dodonaea viscosa'', ''

Inga edulis ''Inga edulis'', known as ice-cream bean, ice-cream-bean, joaquiniquil, cuaniquil, guama or guaba, is a fruit native to South America. It is in the Mimosoideae, mimosoid tribe of the legume family Fabaceae. It is widely grown, especially by Indi ...

'', '' Litchi chinensis'', '' Macadamia ternifolia'', '' Mangifera indica'', ''

Phaseolus ''Phaseolus'' (bean, wild bean) is a genus of herbaceous to woody annual and perennial vines in the family Fabaceae containing about 70 plant species, all native to the Americas, primarily Mesoamerica. It is one of the most economically importan ...

'', ''

Pithecellobium dulce ''Pithecellobium dulce'', commonly known as Manila tamarind, Madras thorn, monkeypod tree or camachile, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the Pacific Coast and adjacent highlands of Mexico, Central A ...

'', ''

Sapindus oahuensis ''Sapindus oahuensis'' is a species of tree in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is limited to Kauai (Waimea Canyon) and Oahu (Waianae and Koolau Ranges). Its common names include Āulu,Little, E. L. and R. G. ...

'', '' Sapindus saponaria'', and '' Senna surattensis''. They are particularly fond of the developing seeds of ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

''. Each larva may eat several seeds and may leave one seed pod and enter another. In addition to feeding on the seeds, the larvae also feed upon the pulp of the pods. The larvae are whitish and often have a pink tinge. The pupal period lasts 8–12 days. When the pupa is first formed it is light brown, then gradually becomes darker, and when time for adult emergence it is almost black.

External links

* Grapholitini Moths described in 1882 Endemic moths of Hawaii {{Olethreutinae-stub