Banded Pearl moth - Sameodes Cancellalis - Crop Pest

Sameodes cancellalis, also called the Banded Pearl moth, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1852. It has a wide distribution and has been recorded from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, Taiwan, Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, New Guinea, western and southern Africa, Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It's distinguished by its long Y-shaped horn, which it uses to fight other males. It's a nocturnal bug that feeds on sap and sweet fruits on plants without causing significant harm. However, if their numbers increase significantly, it's important to take the situation seriously. For many Lepidoptera species, the suitable time to find banded pearl would be during dusk or night when many adults are active and when caterpillars are feeding, although this can vary depending on the specific habits of banded pearl. Banded pearl can alter their color slightly depending on the environmental temperature, a rare ability among their kin. A Banded Pearl moth (Sameodes Cancellalis) sits under a leaf in the noon forest, seemingly hanging upside down at Tehatta, West Bengal; India on 11/11/2024.