Telchin licus

Telchin licus

T. l. insularis, Trinidad

Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Castniidae
Genus:	Telchin
Species:	T. licus
Binomial name
*Telchin licus* (Drury, 1773)
Synonyms
Papilio licus Drury, 1773 Castnia licus (Drury, 1773) Castnia licoides (Boisduval, 1875) Castnia albomaculata Houlbert, 1917 Castnia chocoensis Hopp, 1925 Castnia insularis Houlbert, 1918 Castnia pauperata Strand, 1913 Castnia macularifascia Houlbert, 1917 Castnia sebai Houlbert, 1918 Castnia magdalena Joicey & Talbot, 1925 Castnia microsticta Rothschild, 1919 Castnia rubromaculata Houlbert, 1917 Castnia talboti Lathy, 1922

Telchin licus, the banana stem borer, is a moth of the Castniidae family. It is native to South America, where it is found from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas, throughout the Amazon basin in Brazil and Peru. It has also been recorded as an introduced species in Hawaii.

The length of the forewings is 64–80 mm.

The larvae feed on Saccharum officinarum, Musa, Heliconia and Ichnosiphon species. It is considered a pest species. Young larvae make a small cavity and then tunnel into the heart of the cane of the host plant. They tunnel upwards and downwards, and create a shelter in the rootstock where they rest. Pupation takes place in the rootstock or at the base of the cane.^[1]