Gesonia obeditalis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gesonia obeditalis |
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Gesonia
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G. obeditalis
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| Gesonia obeditalis Walker, [1859]
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Gesonia obeditalis is a type of moth that belongs to the Noctuidae family. A scientist named Francis Walker first described this moth in 1859. You can find Gesonia obeditalis in many places around the world. These include eastern Africa, the Seychelles and Maldives islands, and tropical parts of Asia. It lives in countries like India and Sri Lanka. You can also find it as far east as the Philippines, the Sula Islands, and Australia.
The adult moth has brown wings. It has a wavy, dark brown band near the edge of its wings. The back wings look similar to the front wings but are a lighter shade of brown.
What Does the Gesonia obeditalis Moth Look Like?
The Gesonia obeditalis moth has a wingspan of about 22 to 24 millimeters (about 0.8 to 0.9 inches). This is the distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other when they are spread out. Male moths have antennae that are saw-like and have small tufts of hair.
The moth's body is usually brownish or reddish-brown. The sides of its mouthparts, called palpi, are chocolate brown. The front wings have faint wavy lines. One of these lines, called the postmedial line, curves inward below the cell. You might also see faint dark spots on the wings. There is a pale, wavy line that has a reddish edge. The edges of the wings have a series of small dark spots.
The back wings are a lighter brown. They also have a postmedial line, especially near the inner edge. Like the front wings, they have a series of dark spots along the margin. Sometimes, you can see faint middle and submarginal lines. Some moths might have a dark spot in the middle of their front wings, beyond the postmedial line. Others might have a different color, like yellowish, on their front wings. Some even have a dark blackish-brown color between the wavy lines.
Life Cycle of the Gesonia obeditalis Moth
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, eat different kinds of plants. They mostly feed on grass species. They also like to eat Stylosanthes plants. These caterpillars usually stretch out on the stems of their host plants. They enjoy eating the flower spikes of these plants.
When it's time to change into an adult moth, the caterpillar forms a pupa. This happens inside a white, silky cocoon. The cocoon often has bits of plant material mixed into it.
The caterpillars are light yellow. They have seven brownish-orange stripes running along their bodies. These caterpillars are missing two pairs of their back legs, called prolegs. Because of this, they move in a special way, by looping their bodies.
