Banana Moth Larvae Damage
|
Figure 1. Damage caused by banana moth (Opogona sacchari) larvae in Wodyetia bifurcata. Photo by T.K. Broschat
|
|
Figure 2. Palm killed by Opogona sacchari. Photo by Scot Nelson.
|
|
Figure 3. Damage caused by Opogona sacchari on adult coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Photo by T.K. Broschat.
|
Symptoms
Leaves collapsing around trunk, often with frass at the base of the palm (Fig. 1). In severe infestations, the crowncrown:
see canopy
of entire palms may collapse or fall off.
May be confused with
Weevil damage caused by Rhynchophorus sp. or Metamasius hemipterus is similar and may occur within the same palm infested with O. sacchari.
Cause
Damage is caused by feeding of larvae of the banana moth (Opogona sacchari) (Lepidoptera: Tineidae).
Occurrence
Slender-stemmed palms such as Chamaedorea sp. and Dypsis lutescens are common hosts in palm nurseries, but in the landscape, other species such as Wodyetia bifurcata and Cocos nucifera have been damaged, often severely.
