''Comadia redtenbacheri'' is a

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 Cossidae. It is found in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, where it has been recorded from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and southern

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The length of the forewings is 12–14 mm for males and 13–16 mm for females. The forewings are brown with a white strip from the wing base to near the apex. The hindwings are grey-brown. Adults have been recorded on wing from April to May and in September. The larvae feed on the

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

leaves of the maguey and ''

Agave salmiana ''Agave salmiana'' (also known as ''maguey pulquero'' and green maguey) is a species of the family Asparagaceae, native to central and southern Mexico. It is also reportedly naturalized in South Africa, Italy and Spain, specially in the Canary I ...

''. Young larvae are pale reddish, becoming carmine in later

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

In food and drink

The larvae are one of the species used to put into mezcal.Bug Guide
/ref> In Spanish, they are known as ''chilocuil'', ''chinicuil'', or ''tecol'' and have been traditionally used as food in

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and M ...

. The

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s are also known as ''gusanos rojos'', giving its name to a popular brand of mezcal; they are one of the two kinds of "

worms Worms may refer to: *Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs Places *Worms, Germany, a city **Worms (electoral district) *Worms, Nebraska, U.S. *Worms im Veltlintal, the German name for Bormio, Italy Arts and entertainme ...

" placed in bottles of mezcal, giving a unique color and flavor to the drink. The other, less appreciated ones, are the larvae of the agave snout weevil, ''

Scyphophorus acupunctatus ''Scyphophorus acupunctatus'', the sisal weevil or agave weevil, is a species of polyphaga beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into win ...

''. Image:Chinicuiles 005.jpg, A dish of ''chinicuiles'' (roasted larvae of ''Hypopta agavis'') in a market in

Tula Tula may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Tula Mountains *Tula Point India *Tulā, a solar month in the traditional Indian calendar Iran * Tula, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province Italy * Tula, Sardinia, municipality (''comune'') in the pr ...

, Hidalgo, México

References

External links

Natural History Museum Lepidoptera generic names catalog
Cossinae Edible insects Oaxacan cuisine Moths of North America Moths described in 1848 {{Cossinae-stub

In food and drink

See also

References

External links