About Palpita nigropunctalis Bremer, 1864
Palpita nigropunctalis, commonly known as the lilac pyralid, is a moth species belonging to the family Crambidae. This species is distributed across eastern Asia, including specific regions of China (Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi), Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East (Siberia, Kuriles, Sakhalin). The wingspan of adult Palpita nigropunctalis ranges from 29 to 31 mm. Across its range, adults can be found on wing from April to October. In Japan specifically, adults are on wing during three separate periods: from late March to early April, mid May to early June, and early September to mid November. The species has three generations per year in Japan. Larvae of Palpita nigropunctalis feed on the flowers, fruits, and leaves of plants in the Ligustrum genus, including the species Ligustrum japonicum and Ligustrum lucidum. Larvae have also been recorded feeding on Fraxinus mandschurica. In Japan, first-instar larvae appear three times annually, during the periods of late April to early May, mid to late September, and early to mid October.
