Photographer:Jeffrey W. Lotz Affiliation:Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Source:www.bugwood.org Copyright:CC BY3.0
Adult cactus moths are non-descript, gray-brown moths with faint dark spots and wavy transverse lines marking the wings. The rear margins of the hindwings are whitish, and semitransparent; and the antennae and legs are long. The wing span of the adults ranges from 22 to 35 mm.
The larvae of Cactoblastis cactorum are bright orange-red with large dark spots forming transverse bands. Mature larvae are 25 to 30 mm long. Larvae are caterpillars that are pink-cream colored at first and become orange with age. Black and red dots on the dorsal surface of each body segment coalesce with age to form dark bands. The larvae are much easier to discern than the non-descript adults.
It was first detected in Texas in 2018 (Brazoria County) and is now present in several counties. Experts expect the moth to continue spreading through Texas because the adults can fly up to 16 miles and unaware citizens transporting infected cacti. This is why reporting and public education is so important! The cactus moth is so efficient at eliminating Opuntia cacti species that it is used as a biological control agent in areas where Opuntia are invasive. Thus, the cactus moth are a considerable threat to the native Opuntia cactus population and the ecosystem it supports. Native Lepidoptera, such as the endangered Schaus swallowail, Papilio aristodemus ponceanus, birds, reptiles, and other insects rely on the cactus as a source of food and shelter. With the decimation and collapse of the native cacti, the surrounding ecosystem could follow suit.
Female moths lay on average 70-90 eggs in a distinctive stick-like formation that protrudes from the cactus pad. The external incubation period for the eggs is typically 23-28 days, but can occur in as little as 18 days and is temperature-dependent. Larvae hatch, bore into the cactus pad, and persist inside the cactus pad through several instars. While consuming the cactus from the inside as they mature, eventually hollowing out the pad. Larvae are gregarious which leads to an almost communal destruction of the cactus. Cacti riddled with C. cactorum have a low survival rate.
Mature larvae emerge from the cactus pad to form cocoons and pupate on the ground at the base of the host cactus. Adult moths emerge from cocoons to disperse into new areas and repeat the reproductive process. Adults only live for 9 days on average, but, as airborne organisms, can spread fair distances in a short time.
Cactoblastis cactorum was introduced into Australia as a means to control introduced Opuntia cacti. The cactus moth was so successful at controlling the cacti in Australia, (Aussies even erected a monument for the moth), that it was subsequently introduced to South Africa, the Caribbean, and Hawaii to control cacti populations there. The moth was first observed in the Florida Keys in 1989 and has established a breeding population in parts of Florida. The moth has also spread to other states including as far north as South Carolina and as far west as Louisiana. The moth is not currently established in Texas, but is predicted to do so unless precautions are taken.
South America: specifically northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil.
The highly specialized diet of Cactoblastis cactorum limits its habitat and distribution to coincide with that of its food source, prickly pear cacti of genus Opuntia.
Currently, the cactus moth has established breeding populations in Florida and South Carolina. The moth has been observed in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana as well.
***Also of note, the moth has a successful breeding population in Hawaii, but was introduced intentionally.
AUGUST 1, 2018: The Cactus moth has been observed in Brazoria County, Texas. Remember that the orange and black caterpillars are the best way to ID this species. Following this sighting, Texas Department of Agriculture has also documented this pest in Colorado and Chambers County. USDA-APHIS surveys have found it in Jackson County, and citizens reporting to TISI have documented it in Hays County.
Please report any sightings (along with photos) to TISI through Ashley Morgan-Olvera, M.S. at (arm001@shsu.edu), or through the Texasinvasives.org Sentinial Pest Network. Any specimens that are to be mailed in should be sent in alcohol.
Adult cactus moths are non-descript and look similar to other Pyralid moths, especially those of the subfamily Phycitinae. However, the larvae are very unique in appearance.
Early Detection can lead to local eradication. Please report any sightings using the texasinvasives.org Report It! form.
Currently, the best method of control is by manual removal of the "egg sticks", and eliminating infected cacti pads. Insecticides are not used to control the cactus moth because of the potential to poison and kill indigenous endangered species such as the Schaus swallowtail butterfly, Papilio aristodemus ponceanus. Researchers have identified the parasitic wasp Apanteles opuntiarum as a strong candidate for release as a biological control agent to manage the Argentine cactus moth in the U.S; but more research is needed.
Google Search: Cactoblastis cactorum
Google Images: Cactoblastis cactorum
NatureServe Explorer: Cactoblastis cactorum
Bugwood Network Images: Cactoblastis cactorum
Hight, S. D., J. E. Carpenter, and K. A. Bloem. 2002. EXPANDING GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE OF CACTOBLASTIS CACTORUM (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) IN NORTH AMERICA. Florida Entomologist. 85(3): 527-529.
Higgins, A. 2001. Cactus Caretakers 101: Monitoring the Endangered Semaphore Cactus, Opunita corallicola. The Nature Conservancy, Key West, FL. 10 pp.
Moran, V. C. and H. G. Zimmermann. 1984. The biological control of cactus weeds: achievements and prospects. Biocontrol News and Infor. 5:297–320.
Solis, M. A., Hight, S. D., Gordon, D. R., & Florida, P. O. (2004). Tracking the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum Berg., as it flies and eats its way westward in the US. News of the Lepidopterists' Society, 46:3-5.
Zimmermann, H. G., Moran, V. C., & Hoffmann, J. H. 2000. The renowned cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum: its natural history and threat to native Opuntia floras in Mexico and the United States of America. Diversity and Distributions, 6(5):259-269.
http://www.sms.si.edu
http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov
http://pest.ceris.purdue.edu
http://www.aphis.usda.gov
http://www.invasive.org
http://www.galvbayinvasives.org
© 2014 Texas Invasive Species Institute. All Rights Reserved
Lamar University | Sul Ross State University | Texas State University, San Marcos
