Biological characteristics of Pyralis farinalis Linnaeus—A newly reported insect producing the “insecttea”
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Key Words: insecttea, Pyralis farinalis, biological characteristics, Chishui, Guizhou
Abstract: This article provides the first description of Pyralis farinalis Linnaeus, an insect which produces insecttea in the Chishui area of Guizhou Province. The morphological and biological characteristics of this species were investigated both in the field and laboratory. The results show that P. farinalis has 3 generations per year in the Chishui area, and the old larva overwinter in a tunnel made of tea leaves and silk. The overwintering generation was the longest, about 200 days, the adults of which emerged in late April. The first generation was the shortest, about 60 days, from early May to early July. The second generation was longer than the first, about 90 days from mid-July to late September.