About Arotrophora arcuatalis (Walker, 1865)
Arotrophora arcuatalis, first described by Francis Walker in 1865, is an Australian species of tortricid moth. It is most commonly known as the banksia boring moth, and rarely referred to as the banksia moth. It is the type species of the genus Arotrophora. This moth is found across all coastal and sub-coastal regions of southern Australia. Adult Arotrophora arcuatalis are grey, with brown and white markings. Females lay their eggs on the surface of early-stage Banksia flower spike buds. After hatching, the larvae tunnel into the flower spike's axis, and move between individual follicles to feed on the seeds. The larvae infest a wide variety of Banksia species, and can substantially reduce seed production in some of these species. For the cut flower industry, the tunnelling damage caused by the larvae ruins the cosmetic appearance of Banksia flower spikes, making them unsuitable for sale. Because of this economic impact, there has been substantial research on controlling this moth, including work to identify its pheromones.
