| Psalis pennatula | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Genus: | Psalis |
| Species: | P. pennatula |
| Binomial name | |
| Psalis pennatula (Fabricius, 1793) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Psalis pennatula, the yellow hairy caterpillar, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. [1] It is found in India, Sri Lanka, [2] Thailand, [3] Australia and Java. [4]
Its wingspan is about 40 mm. The forewings are coloured in two shades of brown divided by a line from the base to the wingtip. The anterior part is pale brown, whereas the posterior part is darker brown. Hindwings off white. Eggs are yellow and pubescent. The caterpillar is hairy with a broad black line along the back. There are four brown tussocks. Black line is bordered by yellow patches on each segment and each yellow patch having a red line through it. Two red glands found on the back of the two abdominal segments. There are two black hair-pencils found on the prothorax. [5]
The caterpillar is known to feed on many agriculturally important crops such as Oryza sativa , [6] Sorghum bicolor , Saccharum officinarum , Imperata cylindrica , Camellia sinensis , Persea bombycina , Shorea robusta , Vigna mungo , [7] Solanum melongena , Tectona grandis , Triticum aestivum , Cucumis sativus , Eleusine coracana , Hyparrhenia , Cyperus and Pennisetum purpureum . [8]
It is a minor pest on paddy, where the attack by caterpillar can result defoliation. Damage can be minimized by using light traps or using chlorpyrifos. [9] A braconid parasitoid wasp Microplitis pennatula is known to induces rapid behavioral changes in the parasitized host, which is the caterpillar of P. pennatula. [10]
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionary strategies within parasitism, distinguished by the fatal prognosis for the host, which makes the strategy close to predation.
A hyperparasite, also known as a metaparasite, is a parasite whose host, often an insect, is also a parasite, often specifically a parasitoid. Hyperparasites are found mainly among the wasp-waisted Apocrita within the Hymenoptera, and in two other insect orders, the Diptera and Coleoptera (beetles). Seventeen families in Hymenoptera and a few species of Diptera and Coleoptera are hyperparasitic. Hyperparasitism developed from primary parasitism, which evolved in the Jurassic period in the Hymenoptera. Hyperparasitism intrigues entomologists because of its multidisciplinary relationship to evolution, ecology, behavior, biological control, taxonomy, and mathematical models.
Papilio demoleus is a common and widespread swallowtail butterfly. The butterfly is also known as the lime butterfly, lemon butterfly, lime swallowtail, and chequered swallowtail. These common names refer to their host plants, which are usually citrus species such as the cultivated lime. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies, it does not have a prominent tail. When the adult stage is taken into consideration, the lime swallowtail is the shortest-lived butterfly, with male adults dying after four days and females after a week. The butterfly is native to Asia and Australia, and can be considered an invasive pest in other parts of the world. The butterfly has spread to Hispaniola island in the Western Hemisphere, and to Mahé, Seychelles.
Hyalophora cecropia, the cecropia moth, is North America's largest native moth. It is a member of the family Saturniidae, or giant silk moths. Females have been documented with a wingspan of five to seven inches (160 mm) or more. These moths can be found all across North America as far west as Washington and north into the majority of Canadian provinces. Cecropia moth larvae are most commonly found on maple trees, but they have also been found on cherry and birch trees among many others. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causing the death of these hosts. Different species specialise in hosts from different insect orders, most often Lepidoptera, though some select beetles, flies, or bugs; the spider wasps (Pompilidae) exclusively attack spiders.
Olene mendosa, the brown tussock moth or hairy tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. It is found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand and Australia.
Glyptapanteles is a genus of endoparasitoid wasps found in Central and North America and New Zealand. The larvae of the members of Glyptapanteles sp. are distinguished by their ability to manipulate their hosts into serving as bodyguards.
Nepita is a monotypic moth genus in the subfamily Arctiinae erected by Frederic Moore in 1860. Its only species, Nepita conferta, the footman moth, was first described by Francis Walker in 1854. It is found in India and Sri Lanka.
The fall armyworm is a species in the order Lepidoptera and one of the species of the fall armyworm moths distinguished by their larval life stage. The term "armyworm" can refer to several species, often describing the large-scale invasive behavior of the species' larval stage. It is regarded as a pest and can damage and destroy a wide variety of crops, which causes large economic damage. Its scientific name derives from frugiperda, which is Latin for lost fruit, named because of the species' ability to destroy crops. Because of its propensity for destruction, the fall armyworm's habits and possibilities for crop protection have been studied in depth. It is also a notable case for studying sympatric speciation, as it appears to be diverging into two species currently. Another remarkable trait of the larva is that they consistently practice cannibalism, despite its fitness costs.
Chloridea virescens, commonly known as the tobacco budworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae found throughout the eastern and southwestern United States along with parts of Central America and South America.
Parasa lepida, the nettle caterpillar or blue-striped nettle grub, is a moth of the family Limacodidae that was described by Pieter Cramer in 1799. It is a native minor pest found in the Indo-Malayan region, including India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is an introduced pest to urban trees in western Japan.
Crocidolomia pavonana is a moth of the family Crambidae. Its caterpillar is a crop pest and is known as the croci or the cabbage cluster caterpillar. This moth is found in Africa and Asia, its range extending from South Africa through India to the Pacific Ocean, including Australia. The wingspan is about 25 mm (1 in). The larvae feed on Brassicaceae species and are considered an agricultural pest on cabbages. At first, they feed only on the undersides of the leaves. Later they feed on the rest of the leaves and the central shoot. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794.
Spodoptera mauritia, the lawn armyworm or paddy swarming caterpillar, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1833. Able to eat many types of food, it is a major pest throughout the world.
Biston suppressaria, the tea looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Scirpophaga incertulas, the yellow stem borer or rice yellow stem borer, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1863. It is found in Afghanistan, Nepal, north-eastern India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sumba, Sulawesi, the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Japan.
Cotesia rubecula is a parasitoid wasp from the large wasp family Braconidae.
Perina nuda, the clearwing tussock moth or banyan tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787. It is found in the Indian subregion, Sri Lanka, to southern China Hong Kong, Thailand and Sundaland.
Euproctis fraterna is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Frederic Moore in 1883. It is found in the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka and the Seychelles.
Naranga diffusa, the rice green semilooper, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1865. It is found in many agricultural based countries such as Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Selepa celtis, called the hairy caterpillar as a larva, is a moth of the family Nolidae. The species was first described by Frederic Moore in 1858. It is found in Oriental tropics of India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan towards the Ryukyu Islands and Australia.