Camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controv ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

like tea ('' Camellia sinensis'') are used as food plants by the caterpillars of a number of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). These include: *

Coleophoridae __NOTOC__ The Coleophoridae are a family of small moths, belonging to the huge superfamily Gelechioidea. Collectively known as case-bearers, casebearing moths or case moths, this family is represented on all continents, but the majority are foun ...

** Several ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors ...

'' case-bearers, such as: *** '' C. scaleuta'' – recorded on

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...

(''C. sinensis'') *** '' C. vigilis'' – recorded on tea (''C. sinensis'') *

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''metro ...

** ''

Ectropis crepuscularia The engrailed and small engrailed (''Ectropis crepuscularia'') are moths of the family Geometridae found from the British Isles through central and eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The western Mediterranean and Asia Minor ...

'' (the engrailed) – recorded on Japanese camellia (''C. japonica'') ** ''

Hemithea aestivaria The common emerald (''Hemithea aestivaria'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species is found throughout the Nearctic and Palearctic regions and the Near East. It is mostly commonly found in the southern half of the British Isles. It w ...

'' (common emerald) – recorded on snow camellia ('' C. rusticana'') and possibly others ** '' Peribatodes rhomboidaria'' (willow beauty) – Leaves – recorded on tea (''C. sinensis'') *

Hepialidae The Hepialidae are a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialidae constitute by far the most diverse group of the infraorder Exop ...

** '' Endoclita malabaricus'' – recorded on tea (''C. sinensis'') ** ''

Endoclita punctimargo ''Endoclita punctimargo'' is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae Species description, first described by Charles Swinhoe in 1892. It is known from the Indian state of Sikkim. References External links"''Endoclita'' Felder, 1874"
''Bu ...

'' – recorded on tea (''C. sinensis'') ** '' Endoclita purpurescens'' – recorded on tea (''C. sinensis'') ** ''

Endoclita sericeus ''Endoclita sericeus'' is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae first described by Charles Swinhoe in 1901. It is known from Java, Indonesia. Food plants for this species include ''Albizia'', ''Camellia'', ''Cinchona'', ''Crotalaria'', '' M ...

'' – recorded on tea (''C. sinensis'') * Noctuidae ** ''

Agrotis segetum ''Agrotis segetum'', sometimes known as the turnip moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is a common European species and it is found in Africa and across ...

'' (turnip moth)

External links

* {{Teas

+Lepidoptera