Gortyna xanthenes

Gortyna xanthenes, the artichoke moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was described by Ernst Friedrich Germar in 1842. It is found on the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Malta as well as in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece.[1]

Gortyna xanthenes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Noctuidae
Genus:
Gortyna
Species:
G. xanthenes
Binomial name
Gortyna xanthenes
Germar, 1842
Synonyms
  • Hydroecia franciscae Turati 1913
  • Hydroecia ifranae Le Cerf 1933

The wingspan is 50–60 mm. The forewings are greyish yellow with a dark brown terminal band with yellow spots. The hindwings are smoky. There is one generation per year with adults on wing from October to mid-November.

The larvae are a pest on artichokes. Early instars feed on the upper epidermis of the leaves. Later, they penetrate the veins and finally eat through the center of the stem and reach the head where they form large galleries. Pupation takes place within this gallery

References
  1. Fauna Europaea


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