Manduca rustica(Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) Damage on Olive (Olea europaea; Lamiales: Oleaceae) trees in Florida

Abstract

There is a growing interest in cultivating olives Olea europaea L. (Lamiales: Oleaceae) in Florida, USA. Although some parts of Florida seem well suited for olive production, the pests and diseases associ ated with cultivated olives in Florida are generally unknown. During a 2014 survey of olives being grown at the commercial and homeowner level, a novel pest was identified. A hornworm (Fig. 1), now known to be the larval stage of the rustic sphinx Manduca rustica (F.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) (Wagner 2010; D. L. Wagner, personal communication), was reported as a pest of concern by growers from the Florida Panhandle in the north to Polk County in the south. Tuttle (2007) described M. rustica as a broadly distributed Neotropical species that breeds in the mid-Atlantic states as far north as Delaware, USA. In Florida, Heppner (2003) reported M. rustica ranges as far south as Miami-Dade County, but the species has not been reported from Monroe County (the Florida Keys).Worldwide, there are 49 recorded lepidopteran pests of O. europaea, 9 of which are in the family Sphingidae, but none is within the genus Manduca (Robinson et al. 2010). The primary concern of growers was the defoliation caused by larval feeding. One larva can quickly denude a 2-yr-old olive tree, causing problems for nursery producers and for growers with new plantings. Although trees can recover from this damage, olive trees are slow growing, and feeding damage can remain apparent for several months depending on the time of year. Manduca rustica is listed as having a host range that includes plants in the family Oleaceae (Kitching & Cadiou 2000; Tuttle 2007; Robinson et al. 2010); however, we were unable to find any report that it has been recorded as feeding on O. europaea. The rustic sphinx moth is recognized as a pollinator in the southeastern United States (Graham 2010). The only notable report of the rustic sphinx as a pest comes from Clavijo & Chacin (1992), who reported M. rustica as a pest of sesame in Venezuela. This is important to note for growers who are interested in using sesame as a cover crop or an attractant for beneficial insects near olive production areas in Florida. Initial reports from growers included photos of specimens collected from orchards and nurseries. Many growers elected to control mechani