Coconut Leafroller pg.2
EGGS
Eggs are flattened and rounded. They are laid in regular rows, with each egg slightly overlapping the
egg next to it, in a narrow mass along the leaf rib. Egg masses usually contain 30 to 50 eggs Zimmerman (1958).
LARVAE
The coconut leafroller molts five times before becoming a pupa. Each molt is separated by an interval of
4 to 5 days with a slightly longer interval occurring during the fifth larval stage (instar) that occurs before pupation. The larval stage is completed in about 4 weeks Zimmerman (1958). Newly hatched larvae are whitish with several black dots clustered at the head and along its body. They measure about 1/12 inch (2 mm) in length. The markings become more prominent on the second, third and fourth larval instars. The full grown caterpillar is dull green with two white stripes running the length of the body and measures 1-7/25 (32 mm) to 1-2/5 (35 mm) inches in length. The face of the caterpillar has several black spots that form a horizontal row of four spots on each side of the face. The caterpillars turn yellowish just before pupating (Zimmerman, 1958).
PUPAE
The pupae are light to dark brown depending on the age, have several rows of delicate hairs running down its body, and measure 3/5 (15 mm) to 4/5 (19 mm) inch in length. They are contained within a slight cocoon in which the pupae are visible through. Adult moths emerge in 11 to 13 days (Zimmerman, 1958).
ADULTS
Adult moths have a wing expanse of about 1 inch (2.54 cm). The forewings are brownish-yellow with a grayish-brown stripe along the median vein that is margined by a sandy-whitish diffused line on either side and the outer margins of the wings are dotted with black spots. The hindwings are pale grayish-brown with white discs, a slight reddish tint externally and also have a series of black spots on the outer margins. The body is whitish to creamy-whitish (Butler, 1877).
BEHAVIOR
Older caterpillars attach the edges of the coconut leaves together with silken threads to form a protective chamber (Zimmerman, 1958).
