Antigastra catalaunalis Duponchel
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Spilomelinae
- Tribe: Margaroniini
- Genus: Antigastra
- Distribution: Worldwide in the tropics subtropics & S. temperate. Europe (S, C), Middle East, Africa, All Asia, India, Nepal, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Australia (Q, W, NT, NSW). New World (Colombia).
- Habitat: No data.
- Wing Length: 11mm
Taxonomy
As its name suggests the holotype of Botys catalaunalis Duponchel, 1833: 330, pl. 232, fig. 8. is from Spain (Catalonia, Barcelona). comb. n. to Antigastra (Lederer 1863).
- syn. Botys venosalis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1401. TL.: Congo. India [N. & S. Hindustan;
- syn. Antigastra catalaunalis ab. sionensis Caradja, 1929b: 154 TL Jordan Valley (Jericho). Infrasubsp. (Globiz).
Description
This is a distinctive pearly, pink and yellow mottled species.
Life History
Antigastra catalaunalis is a major and serious pest of sesame (Sesamum indicum) (Pedaliaceae) (Common, 1990). A leaf roller/capsule borer, damaging the crop from seedling to flower and capsule stage
Ova are laid singly on the undersurface of leaves, on capsules and branches. The early instar larva it webs the upper portion of plant sticking two or three leaves together and feeds externally in the web, whereas the final instar larvae infest the Sesame fruit capsule making a entrance hole on the lateral side and feed on the seeds inside the capsule leaving frass on the seeds.The larvae infest flowers more than pods but still manage to destroy at least half of the seeds. It pupates in flower buds. The pest infests 10-70% of leaves causing 10-60% yield loss. Infestation of 34-62% of flower buds / flowers & 10-44% infestation of pods results in <72% yield losses. One to three larvae are enough to denude a fully grown plant within 24 to 48 hours. The ecology is addressed by Ahirwar et al. (2010).
References
- Duponchel, P.A.J. ([1836] 1821-1842.) In Godart, J.B. & Duponchel, P.A.J. Hist. nat. Lépid. Papillons Fr. Crevot/Méquignon-Marvis Fils, Paris, 11 vols + 4 suppls, pls 546.
- Lederer, J. (1863) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7: 243-280, 331-502, pl. 2-18.
- Walker, F. (1865 [1866 Jan 13]) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 34, (Suppl. 4): 1121-1533.
- Common, I.F.B. (1990) Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, Australia, 535 pp.
- Ahirwar, R.M., Gupta, M.P. & Banerjee, S. (2010) Bio-Ecology of Leaf Roller / Capsule Borer Antigastra catalaunalis Duponchel, Adv. in Biores. 1 (2), 90-104.
- Caradja, A. von. (1929b) Antigastra catalaunalis Dup. nov. ab. sionensis. Bulletin de la Section Scientifique de la Académie Roumaine, Bucarest, 12 (6): [2] [pagination of reprint]. [in Romanian]