Bactra Stephens, 1834 (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Bactrini)

The two Bactra species known from Hawaii are stem borers of sedges. B. venosana was purposely introduced to Hawaii to help control nutsedge. B. straminea may be endemic to Hawaii, though it was thought to be from the Indo-Pacific or Palaearctic.

Bactra straminea (Butler, 1881)
Bactra venosana (Zeller, 1847)

Koolau Mtns., Oahu 1977
Bactra straminea (Butler, 1881)
Islands: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Hawaii
Hostplants: Carex sp., Cladium angustifolium, Scirpus miritimus
Status: Immigrant? / Endemic?
Comments: Larvae are stem borers. Parasitized by Bracon swezeyi, Temelucha chilonis (Brachonidae) , Trathala flavoorbitalis (Ichneumonidae), Trichogramma semifumatum (Trichogrammatidae)

 

 

 

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Bactra venosana (Zeller, 1847)
Islands: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Hawaii
Hostplants: Cyperus rotundas (nutsedge, nutgrass), Kyllingia spp.
Status: Purposely introduced
Comments: Larvae are stem borers. Introduced to control nutsedge in 1925. Parasitized by Diadegma blackburni, Eriborus sp., Trathala flavoorbitalis (Ichneumonidae), Trichogramma minutum (Trichogrammatidae)

 

 

 

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Source(s): Zimmerman EC. 1978. Insects of Hawaii, Vol.9.1 Microlepidoptera. The University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu.