Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis (Walker, 1859) - Teak Leaf Skeletonizer

Taxonomic Information

This is a species complex consisting of possibly 3 species. Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis (Walker, 1859), Ecpyrrhorrhoe rufipicta (Butler, 1880) and Ecpyrrhorrhoe machoeralis (Walker, 1859). All of them are known to skeletonise Tectona grandis leaves. Genitalia and/or barcoding needed to separate species with certainty. 

Ecpyrrhorrhoe Hübner, 1825 species known from Indian region. 
Ecpyrrhorrhoe celatalis (Walker, 1859). India; Sri Lanka.
Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis (Walker, 1859). India. 
Ecpyrrhorrhoe fimbriata (Moore, 1886). Sri Lanka.
Ecpyrrhorrhoe fuscicostalis (Swinhoe, 1894). India: Meghalaya.
Ecpyrrhorrhoe leucanalis (Swinhoe, 1890). Myanmar
Ecpyrrhorrhoe machoeralis (Walker, 1859). India: Sri Lanka (refer pg 14, pg 25 of Xiang et al 2022; often misidentified as damastesalis, found only in Sri Lanka)
Ecpyrrhorrhoe obliquata (Moore, 1888). India: West Bengal,
Ecpyrrhorrhoe rubellalis (Snellen, 1890). India: Sikkim,
Ecpyrrhorrhoe rufipicta (Butler, 1880). India: Meghalaya (Ecpyrrhorrhoe rubicundalis Warren,
1896 is a junior synonym),

Photo Gallery and Species Biology

Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis - Teak Leaf Skeletonizer


StateJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNo date
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Daman & Diu
Delhi
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka111
Kerala
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra11
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram1
Nagaland
Odisha
Paschimbanga
Pondicherry
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu1
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Total1321

Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis (Walker, 1859) – Teak Leaf Skeletonizer: Tectona grandis (Lamiaceae) (Robinson et al. 2010).

  1. Scopula damastesalis Walker, 1859: pg. 1013–1014). Type locality: Sri Lanka [Ceylon]. 
  2. Senthilkumar, N. & S. Murugesan. 2015. Insect pests of important tree species in South India and their management information. Published by Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (Coimbatore).
  3. Hampson, G. F. 1896. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Moths, Vol.4. Taylor & Francis, London. Pyralidae 594 p - 287 figs. Pg. 433, # 5231. Listed as Pyrausta machoeralis. Lists damastesalis as synonym of machoeralis. Lists fuscicostalis and rubicundalis as forms. 
  4. Xiang, L., Chen, K., Chen, X., Duan, Y. and Zhang, D., 2022.  A revision of the genus Ecpyrrhorrhoe Hübner, 1825 from China based on morphology and molecular data, with descriptions of five new species (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Pyraustinae). ZooKeys, 1090, p.1.
  5. http://www.nbair.res.in/insectpests/Paliga-machoeralis.php

Note: Xiang et al 2022 revised this species to Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis (Walker, 1859) from Paliga damastesalis (Walker, 1859). Species page updated on 17 Feb 2023 (SS). 

Page citation

Anonymous 2024. Ecpyrrhorrhoe damastesalis (Walker, 1859) – Teak Leaf Skeletonizer. In Sondhi, S., Y. Sondhi, R.P. Singh, P. Roy and K. Kunte (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 3.72. Published by the Indian Foundation for Butterflies. URL: https://moths.ncbs.res.in/Ecpyrrhorrhoe-damastesalis, accessed 2024/03/29.