Amyelois

Amyelois
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pyralidae
Subfamily: Phycitinae
Genus: Amyelois
Amsel, 1956
Species:
A. transitella
Binomial name
Amyelois transitella
(Walker, 1863)
Synonyms
  • Genus
    • Paramyelois Heinrich, 1956
  • Species
    • Paramyelois transitella (Walker, 1863)
    • Emporia cassiae Dyar, 1917
    • Myelois duplipunctella Ragonot, 1887
    • Nephopterix notatalis Walker, 1863
    • Myelois solitella Zeller, 1881
    • Myelois venipars Dyar, 1914

Amyelois is a monotypic snout moth genus described by Hans Georg Amsel in 1956. Its single species, Amyelois transitella, the navel orangeworm, described by Francis Walker in 1863, is endemic to the tropical Western Hemisphere, including the southern United States. Its abundance in California increased greatly during the first half of the 20th century.

The wingspan is 9.7 to 10.9 mm. Adults are on wing from the end of March to the end of October in California.

The larvae are considered a commercial pest of a number of California crops, including walnut (Juglans regia), fig (Ficus carica), almond (Prunus dulcis) and pistachio (Pistacia vera).