Fauna
Insect · GBIF taxon 5126576

Coconut Leafroller

Omiodes blackburni

Also known as Blackburn's Coconut Leafroller, Palm Leafroller

Coconut leafrollers are endemic Hawaiian snout moths whose green caterpillars roll and fasten palm leaflets together with dense silk to construct protective feeding shelters. Adults emerge around dusk to flutter through lowland palm canopies and around outdoor lights, displaying tawny brown wings accented with fine, jagged pale lines. Originally reliant on native loulu fan palms, populations adapted extensively to introduced coconut palms across the main Hawaiian Islands.

NocturnalHawaiian EndemicMoth
Coconut Leafroller reference
Licensed referenceno rights reserved, uploaded by kbkash · cc0
—observations
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Palm foliage
  • Floral nectar
Predators
  • Parasitoid wasps
  • Insectivorous birds
  • Spiders
ThreatsIntroduced parasitoid wasps, loss of native loulu palms, and pesticide spraying
HabitatsCoastal lowlands, palm groves, gardens, and lowland mesic forests
Life spanAdults live 1–3 weeks; complete lifecycle takes 5–7 weeks
Classification
  1. FamilyCrambidae
  2. SpeciesOmiodes blackburni
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Harmless to humans; safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Inspect rolled leaflets: Look for frass and silk binding palm pinnae into narrow tubular shelters.
  • Check lights after dark: Adult moths fly at night and occasionally settle near porch lights near palms.
Related species
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