Coscinoptycha improbana
Coscinoptycha improbana, the Australian guava moth, is a moth of the family Carposinidae and only member of the genus Coscinoptycha. This species is native to Australia but is invasive to New Zealand since 1999 and New Caledonia since 2012. The larvae of this species have been recorded as feeding on a wide variety of fruits and nuts including agricultural crops such as citrus, plums, pears, peaches, feijoa and guava. As such this species is regarded as an agricultural pest. However using a pheromone dispenser armed with the synthesised sex pheromone of the asian peach moth can confuse C. improbana males and disrupt the breeding of this pest species.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1881. The syntype of this species is held at the Natural History Museum, London.Description
Meyrick described this species as follows:Distribution
It is native to Australia, where it is found from Eungella in Queensland down through New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. It also occurs on Norfolk Island, in New Caledonia since 2012 and New Zealand since 1999. In New Zealand it has been observed in the Northland, Auckland and Waikato regions.Behaviour
Adults are on wing year-round.Hosts
The larvae have been recorded feeding on a wide variety of nuts and fruits including Psidium species, Feijoa sellowiana, Macadamia integrifolia, Eriobotyra japonica, Prunus domestica, Prunus persicae, Pyrus pyrifolia, Citrus species, Cassine australis and Schizomeria ovata with the larvae eating into the flesh of fruits and nuts.Interactions with humans
As the larvae of this moth causes damage to corps it is therefore regarded as being an agricultural pest. In New Zealand this species is considered a serious problem for those farmers in Northland growing macadamias and feijoas.It has been shown that by using a pheromone dispenser armed with the synthesised sex pheromone of the asian peach moth, this can confuse C. improbana males and disrupt the breeding of this species.