• Topics: Entomology and Nematology  |  Bromeliad Pests  |  Featured Creatures collection  | Family: Pyralidae (snout-moths)  | Heppner, John B  |  Frank, J H 

Bromeliad Pod Borer, Epimorius testaceellus Ragonot (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)¹

Introduction

The bromeliad pod borer, Epimorius testaceellus, was described by Ragonot (1887) from a specimen collected in Jamaica. In 1974, the senior author (JBH) reared it from flower pods of the bromeliad Tillandsia fasciculata in Florida. Subsequently, it was identified and reported on by Ferguson (1991). Larvae of this pyralid moth do considerable damage to the flower pods of infested T. fasciculata, although populations appear to be localized and uncommon.

Distribution

The bromeliad pod borer occurs over much the same distribution as its hostplant: subtropical Florida and south into the West Indies and South America (Ferguson 1991; Whalley 1964). The senior author (JBH) reared the moth from larvae from Palmdale, Glades County in May 1974 and May 1975, and from Miami, Dade County in January 1974, and from near Lake Placid, Highlands County, in May 1975. Other records are from Broward County in March and July, and from Dade County in March.

Description and Diagnosis

Adults of E. testaceellus are brown with highlights of tan shades on the forewings; hindwings are light tan. Males have slight amounts of red-brown scales on the forewing in fresh specimens. Wingspread ranges from 20 mm in males to 26 mm in females. Larvae are yellow, with amber head capsules.

Figure 1. 

Adults of bromeliad pod borer, Epimorius testaceellus Ragonot, 1. male; 2. female (Palmdale, FL).

Larvae of six other small moths have been reported from T. fasciculata in Florida. They are Pyralis farinalis (Linnaeus), Opogona sacchari (Bojer) (known as banana moth), Xylesthia pruniramiella Clemens, Pyroderces sp., Bleptina sp., and an unidentified species of the family Tortricidae. They all differ in feeding habits from E. testaceellus (Table 1).

Host Plants

Thus far, the only confirmed hostplant of E. testaceellus is the bromeliad T. fasciculata Swartz. A localized outbreak of the moth could cause extensive damage. However, the moth has a parasitoid (see below) which may prevent outbreaks. The adult moth does not appear to be responsive to light traps, because few if any specimens have been collected in Florida other than by rearing from larvae collected from T. fasciculata.

Figure 2. 

Hostplant damage from bromeliad pod borer, Epimorius testaceellus Ragonot. 3. Mature bromeliad (Tillandsia fasciculata) with several inflorescences; 4. Larval damage on flower spikes (one larva visible in opened flower pod) (Palmdale, FL).

Larvae of a pyralid moth caused damage to leafbases of Tillandsia variabilis Schlechtendal (known earlier as T. valenzuelana A. Richard) at Copeland, Collier County, in January 1976. Whatever this species was, it almost certainly was not E. testaceellus.

Natural Enemies

Larvae of a wasp are reported as parasitoids of E. testaceellus larvae in Florida. Orange-colored adult wasps were reared by the senior author (JBH) from pod borer larvae collected from Glades and Dade counties, and were named and described by Bugbee (1975, 1976) as Eurytoma aerflora Bugbee (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae). This wasp may be widespread (because it was collected in Dade and Glades counties) and it may prevent outbreaks of the moth, but nothing else is known about it.

Behavior

Tillandsia fasciculata is strictly epiphytic (Langdon 1981) and grows on rough-barked trees, especially cypress (Taxodium). It has three varieties (var. fasciculata, var. densispica, and var. clavispica) in Florida (Wunderlin 1998). Each plant produces only one flower spike, and dies thereafter. Although flowering plants of this species may be found in any month of the year in Florida, the peak of the flowering season is March-May. Old flowers may hang on plants for many weeks, but the timing of flowering seems largely to be aimed at release of seed at the onset of a rainy period, especially the summer rainy period of July-August. The pod borer excavates flower pods (not seed capsules) of T. fasciculata. Larval damage is evidenced by frass ejected from the flower capsule (pod) and discoloration of the flowers. Each larva seems to consume several flower pods.

Pupation is within the shell of the excavated flower pod, usually toward the apex of an inflorescence. A silken cocoon is spun against the flower capsule walls and an exit hole is partially chewed in an exterior wall near the pod base, leaving the adult to push a thin plant flap upon emergence. The head of the pupa is placed just beneath the exit hole of the flower capsule. Pupation lasts about 17 days during the winter and six to 14 days in May. Adults emerge in early evening. Adults are known thus far from January-February and May. Additional study is likely to show that they occur in all months of the year, but that most occur in March-May, coinciding with the peak flowering period of the hostplant.

Selected References

Bugbee, R. E. 1975. A new species of the genus Eurytoma (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) from a pyralid occurring in the flower pods of Tillandsia fasciculata. J. Georgia Ent. Soc. 10:91- 93.

Bugbee, R.E. 1976. Description of the male of Eurytoma aerflora Bugbee (Hym.: Eurytomidae). J. Georgia Ent. Soc. 11:181-182.

Ferguson, D.C. 1991. Review of the genus Epimorius Zeller and first report of the occurrence of E. testaceellus Ragonot in the United States (Pyralidae: Galleriinae). J. Lepid. Soc. 45:117-123.

Frank, J.H. (1999). Bromeliad biota. http://bromeliadbiota.ifas.ufl.edu/ (May 1999).

Langdon, K. R. 1981. The native Florida bromeliad or wild-pine, Tillandsia fasciculata. Fla. Dept. and Agric. Consumer Services, Div. Plant Indus., Botany Circ. 15:1-2.

Ragonot, E.L. 1887. Diagnoses of North American Phycitidae and Galleriinae. Paris. [privately publ.]

Whalley, P.E.S. 1964. Catalogue of the Galleriinae (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) with descriptions of new genera and species. Acta Zool. Cracoviensia 9:561-618.

Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida. Univ. Press Florida.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.

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