Description
Flax notcher moths are brown in colour with a wingspan of about 40 millimetres. Caterpillars are brown-yellow and feed at night on young flax leaves.
Common native plant hosts
| Scientific names | Māori/common names |
|---|---|
| Phormium tenax, Phormium cookianum | Flax, harakeke, wharariki, kōrari, swamp flax, mountain flax |
Scientific names
Phormium tenax, Phormium cookianum
Māori/common names
Flax, harakeke, wharariki, kōrari, swamp flax, mountain flax
Symptoms and damage
Feeding damage appears in the form of notches along the leaf edge. Damage is more aesthetic and doesn’t cause the death of plants.
Prevention and control tips
- Bacillus thuringiensis.
- Insecticides for caterpillars with additional sticking agent.
Image details
Photo by Christopher Stephens - some rights reserved (CC-BY-SA)