Turntail
Namibian crop pests  #  97
Eutelia polychorda Order: Lepidoptera Family: Noctuidae 
Eutelia polychorda Hampson, 1902 (Noctuidae)  Identification by Ole Karsholt,  ZMUC, DK

Black form

brown form, note the turned tail

Creamy coloured form

Variegated form

Flowering mopane trees

The Mopane trees at 
Ogongo Agricultural College, 
Omusati region, 13 January 2001

 

Common names: 

 No vernacular names were recorded. 

Pest status:

 The pest status is unknown. Farmers report that the moth sometimes cause defoliation of mopane trees early in the rainy season.

Distribution:

 Widespread and common all over north central Namibia during the beginning of the rainy season.

Description:

 A highly variable species. The moth has a wingspan ranging from 20 mm for small specimens up to 27 mm for larger specimens (females?). Virtually any colour variation is found, ranging from pale yellow or whitish forms over straw coloured to dark or black forms. The species is best identified by the large swarms it occurs in during the season. 

In rural areas the moth is mainly connected with mopane (the dominant tree) where they swarm around fresh mopane growth and frequent the new flowers and sweet exudates from the trees. They fly up during day time when disturbed - a short flight to the next cool leaf or flagrant flower. Due to the swarming habit, the moth has been observed, however, on virtually any type tree in the gardens of the Oshakati-Ongwediva town area.

Control:

 No control is recommended until the pest status is better known.

Other notes:

 Eutelia polychorda Hampson, was described from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and was later called Varied Turntail by Pinhey (1975). Search on the Internet showed that a specimen of Eutelia polychorda from Damaraland (in Namibia) was listed in the Hampson Species Index to the British Museum Plates of the Noctuidae

The same or a very similar species is also described on the National Museum's pest pages.

References

Elliot Pinhey, 1975: Some well known African moths. Bundu Series. Longman Rhodesia. ISBN 0 582 64171 3


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