|
Spodoptera picta Guerin-Meneville
Phalaena (Noctua) festiva Donovan, 1805, Insects New Holland, p1. 36, praeocc.
Polia picta Guerin-Meneville,
1830, Voy. de Coquille, 2: 285.
Diagnosis. This is the largest of Bornean Spodoptera. It has forewing pattern elements similar to those of S. litura but set on a pale,
dull yellow background.
Taxonomic notes. This species and the genus of which it is type (Calogramma
Guenee) were assigned to Spodoptera by Sugi in Inoue et al. (1982).
Geographical
range. Indo-Australian
tropics.
Habitat preference. Three specimens from Kuching have been seen, and one
from Seria on the coast of Brunei. The species may prove to be coastal.
Biology. The life-history has been described by Sevastopulo (1939b) and
by Robinson (1975, with references to other descriptions). The eggs are laid in
a clump covered by abdominal scales in typical Spodoptera fashion. The
larvae are gregarious. Fully grown they are brown with black and white
irrorations, dorsal arid subspiracular yellow lines, and a large transverse
black patch on Al; the venter is purple. The cutting edge of the mandibles is
serrate.
Pupation is subterranean in an earthen cocoon.
The host-plants are Liliaceae, particularly Crinum species. Crinum bulbs
are used to make squid lures in Fiji and, as the larvae are often highly
destructive to this plant, the species could be considered a pest of the fishing
industry (Robinson, 1975).
<<Back
>>Forward <<Return
to Contents page
|
