Penicillaria jocosatrix

Penicillaria jocosatrix, the mango shoot borer, is a moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found from southeast Asia to the Pacific. Records include Borneo, Guam, Hawaii, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and in Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.[1]

Mango shoot borer
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Noctuidae
Genus:
Penicillaria
Species:
P. jocosatrix
Binomial name
Penicillaria jocosatrix
Guenée, 1852
Synonyms
  • Bombotelia jocosatrix

Description

The wingspan is about 20–30 mm. It is dark purplish red brown. Forewings with traces of sub-basal line, an indistinct antemedial line angled on median nervure and a postmedial line angled beyond cell with chocolate below the angle. It joint by a chocolate patch from costa inside the indistinct sub-marginal angled white line. There is a pale streak and slight fold from centre of cell to outer margin. Hindwings white, with dark cell spot. Outer are purplish brown. Underside with prominent black cell spot.[2]

Eggs are pale blue green. Larva green with sub-lateral dark stria. Somites with small purple spots and a sub-dorsal series of larger spots. There are few hairs arise from spiracles. Larva completes five instars to become a pupa. Pupa dark brown, much round with no distinguishing lumps or lobes.[3]

Ecology

The larvae feed on Mangifera indica, Anacardium occidentale, Schinus molle, Terminalia belerica and Terminalia carolinensis. The larvae are translucent mauve, with greenish sides and tail, and are covered sparsely in red dots. It has a light brown head. It is considered an agricultural pest.[4]

Attack and control

Fruits, inflorescences and leaves are attacked by the caterpillars. It is a minor pest[5] attacking many cultivated crops. Caterpillars harm the plant parts by external feeding, and few borings.[3]

Biological control is the most successful method. Parasitoids like Trichogramma platneri, Aleiodes circumscriptus, Blepharella lateralis and Euplectrus parvulus are used. Chemicals are also used in cultivations.[3]

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References
  1. Holloway, Jeremy Daniel. "Penicillaria jocosatrix Guenée". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  2. Hampson, G. F. (1894). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. "Mango shoot caterpillar". Plantwise Technical Factsheet. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  4. Herbison-Evans, Don & Crossley, Stella (6 March 2018). "Penicillaria jocosatrix Guenée, 1852 Mango Shoot Borer". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  5. "Penicillaria jocosatrix Guenee". ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources. Retrieved 8 August 2016.


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