About Athetis thoracica (Moore)
Athetis thoracica (Moore) is a moth species that belongs to the family Noctuidae. Its range spans across the entire Indo-Australian and Pacific tropics. It was first documented in Hawaii in the early 1900s, and researchers believe it was accidentally introduced to Hawaii from Fiji. Today, the species is established on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii. Its larvae have been recorded feeding or living on plants of the genera Commelina, Ipomoea, Syzygium, Portulaca, Nicotiana, and Camellia, as well as on unidentified species from the plant families Gramineae and Leguminosae. Pupae of this moth develop in soil just below the surface. Fully formed pupae measure 13–15 mm in length, and are a uniform medium brown in color. The pupal stage of this species lasts between 12 and 14 days.
