Amauta cacica

Amauta cacica
Amauta cacica at National Museum (Prague)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Castniidae
Genus:	Amauta
Species:	A. cacica
Binomial name
Amauta cacica (Herrich-Schäffer, [1854])
Synonyms
Castnia cacica Herrich-Schäffer, [1854] Castnia angusta Druce, 1907 Castnia angusta var. subangusta Strand, 1913 Castnia jeanneei Rebel, 1915 Castnia oberthüri Houlbert, 1917 Castnia procera Boisduval, [1875] Graya panamensis Buchecker, [1880] Castnia cacica ab. bivittifera Strand, 1913 Castnia cacica ab. macula Strand, 1913

The Sugar-cane Borer Moth (Amauta cacica) is a moth in the Castniidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama.

The larvae feed on plantain and can cause moderate damage. Other recorded food plants include Heliconia griggsiana. They bore the roots of their host plant. From the initial penetration, larvae tunnel into the corm of the plantain and feed there until close to maturity. The mature larva tunnels upwards in the plantain stalk to an average height of one meter, where it makes an exit hole. The larva retreats back down the tunnel about 30 cm, where it pupates inside a case made of fibers from its host plant.

Subspecies

• Amauta cacica cacica (Colombia)
• Amauta cacica angusta (Druce, 1907) (Ecuador)
• Amauta cacica procera (Boisduval, [1875]) (Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica)