Xyleutes persona

Xyleutes persona
In Sri Lanka
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Cossidae
Genus:	Xyleutes
Species:	X. persona
Binomial name
Xyleutes persona (Le Guillou, 1841)
Synonyms
Cossus persona Le Guillou, 1841 Xyleutes persona biakensis Roepke, 1957 Zeuzera leuconotus Walker, 1856 Xyleutes leuconotus Duomitus leuconotus Strigoides leucolophus Guérin-Méneville, 1844

Xyleutes persona the Persona Wood Moth is a moth of the family Cossidae. It is found in the Indian subregion, Sri Lanka, south-east Asia, Sundaland, Sulawesi, New Guinea and Queensland. The habitat consists of lowland forests.[1]

Illustration

Description

Mounted specimen

The head and abdomen of the male is black. The thorax is covered with erect white scales. The forewings are blackish. The reticulations (net-like pattern) are not so close. The inner marginal area with irregular white conjoined patches. White patches on the costa towards the apex. A black streak beyond the cell. Hindwings are blackish with black reticulations. A white patch on outer margin towards anal angle present. In the female, a large white patch sometimes developed at the center of the costa of forewing and those towards apex more developed.[2]

Larvae bore Casuarina trees and have also been recorded feeding on Durio and Premna species.

References

1. The Moths of Borneo
2. Hampson, G. F. (1892). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.