Hellinsia beneficus
Hellinsia beneficus is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is native to Mexico, but was introduced to Hawaii in 1973 as a biological control agent against mistflower, Ageratina riparia.
Taxonomy
The species was identified by Kôji Yano and John B. Heppner in 1983 as Oidaematophorus beneficus. In 1995, it was transferred to the genus Leiptilus by Miller and Gielis and the species became known as Leioptilus beneficus. The genus is now recognised as Hellinsia and the species as H. beneficus.Description
The wingspan is. Adults are on wing in February and July, at an altitude of. The moth prefers higher altitudes and has rarely been observed below 460 m by researchers in Hawaii.The larvae feed on Ageratina riparia. Pupation takes place on leaves or in litter at the base of the plant or on the stem. The moth larvae create smooth edged holes in the plant's leaves, which stunt its growth. Because the A. riparia is highly invasive in tropical climates, the moth has been used as a biological control agent to slow its growth. Although the larvae are highly specific to A. riparia, they have also reportedly been found feeding on A. adenophora in Hawaii.
The parasitoid wasp, Meteorus laphygmae has been observed parasitizing the species' larvae in Hawaii.