Phycita diaphana
{{Short description|Species of moth}}
{{Speciesbox
| image =
| image_caption =
| genus = Phycita
| species = diaphana
| authority = (Staudinger, 1870)
| synonyms =
- Nephopterix diaphana Staudinger, 1870
}}
Phycita diaphana is a species of snout moth.{{cite web|url=http://globiz.pyraloidea.org/Pages/Reports/TaxonReport.aspx |title=World Pyraloidea Database |publisher=Globiz.pyraloidea.org |date= |accessdate=2012-03-05}} It is found in Portugal, Spain, Greece,[https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032043/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=442271 Fauna Europaea] Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion,[http://www.afromoths.net/species_by_code/PHYCDIAP www.afromoths.net] Yemen, Western Sahara and Israel.Quicke, D.L.J., Kuslitzky, W.S. & Butcher, B.A. 2018. First host record for Old World Yelicones (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) adds to evidence that they are strictly parasitoids of Pyralidae (Lepidoptera). Israel Journal of Entomology 48 (1): 33–40. [http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1244102 Article]
Description
Biology
Phycita diaphana is a common, invasive pest of Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) throughout the Mediterranean region. In addition to R. communis, Ph. diaphana
larvae are also found feeding on Populus euphranica Oliv. (Salicaceae) and Chrozophora tintoria (L.) (= verbascifolia (Willd.)) (Euphorbiaceae). Yelicones iranus (Fischer, 1963) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) has been reported as a parasitoid of caterpillars of Phycita diaphana in Israel.