Euproctis lunata

Euproctis lunata, the castor hairy caterpillar, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855.[1] It is found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka[2][3] and Thailand.

Euproctis lunata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Erebidae
Genus:
Euproctis
Species:
E. lunata
Binomial name
Euproctis lunata
Synonyms
  • Euproctis bigutta Walker, 1855
  • Euproctis lutescens Walker, 1855
  • Euproctis bigutta Collenette, 1932
  • Nygmia bimaculata Swinhoe, 1923

The wingspan of the male is 30–32 mm and the female's wingspan is 35–37 mm. Antennae of male bipectinate (comb like on both sides) whereas female has filiform (thread-like) antennae. Male is about 10–12 mm in length and female is 12–14 mm in length. Pupa light reddish brown.[4]

Bionomics

The caterpillar is known to feed on Ricinus communis,[5] Acacia nilotica, Tamarindus indica, Nerium oleander, Chrysanthemum, Moringa oleifera, Ziziphus mauritiana, Cinnamomum camphora, Terminalia tomentosa, Erythrina fusca, Erythrina variegata, Eugenia, Mangifera indica, Manihot esculenta, Morus, Pithecellobium dulce, Sesbania grandiflora, Terminalia tomentosa, Ziziphus jujuba and Ziziphus mauritiana.[6] and recently from Sesbania sesban.[7]

During February and March 2002, a severe outbreak of castor hairy caterpillar was observed on acacia trees in Thailakulam, Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India. Larval swarms persisted for 10 to 15 days in vegetation and were a nuisance to the environment and surrounding villages.[8] A hymenopteran Aholcus euproctiscidis is an egg parasite of the castor hairy caterpillar.[9]

References
  1. "Species Details: Euproctis lunata Walker, 1855". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  2. Koçak, Ahmet Ömer; Kemal, Muhabbet (20 February 2012). "Preliminary list of the Lepidoptera of Sri Lanka". Cesa News. Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara (79): 1–57 – via Academia.
  3. Savela, Markku. "Euproctis lunata Walker, 1855". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  4. "Biology and chemical control of castor hairy caterpillar, Euproctis lunata". An Institutional Repository of Indian National Agricultural Research System. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  5. "Biology of castor hairy caterpillar (Euproctis lunata Walker) on castor in Haryana conditions". International Journal of Farm Sciences. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. "HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants". The Natural History Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  7. "New record of Euproctis lunata Walker and Euproctis subnotata Walker on Sesbania sesban (L.) Merrill". Research Gate. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  8. "Outbreak of hairy caterpillar Euproctis lunata Walker on Acacia trees". CABI. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  9. "Aholcus euproctiscidis Mani (Scelionidae: Hymenoptera), an egg parasite of Euproctis lunata Walker". Indian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 7 March 2018.


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