Schrankia howarthi facts for kids

The Schrankia howarthi is a special kind of moth. It belongs to a group of moths called Erebidae. This moth usually lives deep inside dark lava tubes on the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Hawaii. Sometimes, you might even spot it flying outside on the surface of these islands! Moths that are lighter in color might only live in the darkest parts of the lava tubes.

About the Hawaiian Lava Tube Moth

What Does It Look Like?

This moth is quite small. Its front wings, called forewings, are only about 4 to 8 millimeters long. That's less than half an inch! Both the adult moths and their young, called larvae, are busy all year long. You can find them active no matter the season.

What Does It Eat?

The young moths, known as larvae, mostly eat the roots of plants. Their favorite food is the roots of the Metrosideros polymorpha tree. This tree is very common in Hawaiian rainforests and is one of the first plants to grow on new lava flows.

However, scientists have also found these larvae eating other types of roots inside caves. They've been seen on roots from trees like Grevillea robusta and different kinds of Eucalyptus trees. They also eat roots from Cocculus orbiculatus and even common pasture grasses.

Interestingly, these larvae are also attracted to rotting food. This suggests they act like scavengers inside the caves. They help clean up by eating decaying plant material.

Why Is It Called Schrankia howarthi?

This moth is named after a very important scientist! It honors Dr. Frank Howarth. He is an entomologist, which is a scientist who studies insects, at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Dr. Howarth is famous for being a pioneer in studying cave life in Hawaii. He was the first person to discover this unique moth species inside Kazumura Cave.