Laetilia coccidivora
Species of moth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laetilia coccidivora, the scale-feeding snout moth, is a species of snout moth in the genus Laetilia. It was described by John Henry Comstock in 1879.[2]
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| Laetilia coccidivora | |
|---|---|
| |
| Imago | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pyralidae |
| Genus: | Laetilia |
| Species: | L. coccidivora |
| Binomial name | |
| Laetilia coccidivora | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
It is found in the southern United States, including California, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.
The larvae are predatory on Coccidae species. They feed on the eggs and young. It uses carminic acid, acquired from its prey, as a defence against its own predators.[4]
