Cryptographis nitidalis is a distinctive snout moth instantly recognized by its shimmering yellowish-brown wings broadly edged in rich bronze, paired with a brush-like tuft of scales at the abdominal tip. Adults fly after dark, navigating agricultural fields and home gardens where they sip nectar and deposit tiny eggs on budding squash blossoms. The caterpillars bore directly into cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins, making this species a notorious annual pest across warm temperate and tropical regions.
NocturnalHerbivorousAgricultural Pest
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
