Digama hearseyana (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), A new threat to Karonda (Carissa carandus) in Rajasthan

Abstract

An infestation of Digama hearseyana Moore, 1859 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on karonda, Carissa carandus, was first noticed in 2014 as sporadic occurrence at the experimental farm of the ICAR-Central Institute for Arid Horticulture at Bikanerin Rajasthan. The maximum incidence was observed in second fortnight of August and minimum in second fortnight of April during 2014 and 2015. The number of larvae ranged between 1.07 to 5.77 and 1.23 5 to 5.97 larvae/plant during second fortnight of April and second fortnight of October 2014 and 2015. This species is characterized by the male forewing pale greyish-brown; hind wing testaceous-yellow with a small brown mark on middle margin; abdomen testaceous with a dorsal row of black dots and legs yellowish with dark bands. The mean body length up to genitalia of the male and female adult vary (11.28 mm and 11.28 mm, respectively). Since D. hearseyana belongs to a species complex of Digama where reliable identification of individual species is very daunting task, DNA barcode based on standard barcoding gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) of the mitochondrial DNA was developed and subsequently molecular identity established.