Aphomia sabella, the greater date moth, is a species of snout moth in the genus Aphomia. It was described by George Hampson in 1901 and is known from the Persian Gulf, Algeria and Iran. It was first recorded in Spain in 1999.Asselbergs, J. E. F. (1999): Arenipses sabella Hampson, 1901, from South Spain: new to the European fauna; Thylacoptila paurosema Meyrick, 1885, new to the fauna of the Canary Islands; Ancylosis (Ancylosis) albidella Ragonot, 1888, new to the Spanish fauna (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Galleriinae, Phycitinae). SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterología 27 (105)
The wingspan is about 34 mm for males and 40 mm for females.Lepiforum e.V.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on Phoenix dactylifera.Pests of the Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
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