Defoliation of a monodominant rain-forest tree by a noctuid moth in Gabon

Abstract

Relatively little is known of the relationships between many lepidopteran species and their larval food plants in tropical rain forests, compared with temperate ecosystems. Species are often known only from the adult form, and the larvae and aspects of ecology, host plant, etc. are unknown (Williams 1971). Many species in the moth genus Achaea sometimes occur at high enough population densities to be defoliators, and several species are associated especially with forest trees: some are agricultural pests on groundnuts and castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) (Pinhey 1975, M. Shaw, pers. comm.). Achaea catocaloides occurs from West Africa through Uganda to East Africa (Seitz 1925) and has been recorded in interactions with ants in Cameroon (Dejean et al. 1991).