''Ectropis obliqua'' 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 ...

in the family Geometridae first described by Prout in 1915.

Description

The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

body surface is smooth, with only six abdominal and hip section on foot, trunk when a flexor stretching, commonly known as back arched bug or gauge.

Infestation of tea plants

''E. obliqua'' is one of the most destructive pest insects on tea plants throughout growing areas of this crop in southern China, causing widespread damage in

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

, and

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...

provinces. Larvae feed solely on shoots and leaves of ''C. sinensis'' and occur in six or seven overlapping generations throughout the growing season of tea plants. Infestations of tea plants may be treated by removing the pupa stage of the ''E. obliqua'' life cycle, through predation by chickens, manual removal of larvae, chemical treatments, or biological control (e.g. with tea looper karyotype virus).

Associated viruses

The Ectropis obliqua picorna-like virus (EoPV) has been isolated from ''E. obliqua'' larvae.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13551564 Insects of Asia Boarmiini Moths described in 1915