Salvinia stem borer moth
The salvinia stem borer moth is a tan moth with darker patterns that lives on floating water plants. Its pale yellow to green caterpillars munch on plants like water lettuce and water fern. People even brought it to Australia to help eat weeds that cover ponds.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
In 1981 it was taken to Australia to fight a water fern that was growing out of control.
The caterpillars work as a team. Together they spin a silk tent over the spot where they eat, which keeps them safe.
Its whole life, from egg to old moth, lasts only about three to four weeks.
A female lays about 150 eggs on the leaves of water plants.
It likes it warm and does best at about 30 degrees.
Most asked questions about Salvinia stem borer moth
?What does the salvinia stem borer eat?
Its caterpillars eat floating water plants like water lettuce and water ferns.
?Why was it brought to Australia?
To help control a water fern that was covering lakes and ponds.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Samea multiplicalis
- Named by
- Guenée, 1854
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Crambidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Crambidae
- Lives on
- North America, South America, Australia and Oceania
- Also known as
- Salvinia stem-borer moth
Where the facts come from
- Samea multiplicalis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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