Collection Of Moths Research Articles

Morphomolecular characterization of invasive fruit borer infesting apple

Apple, a vital fruit crop worldwide and a major crop grown in northern parts of India, acts as a backbone for the survival and livelihood of the farming community. However, it is prone to severe damage from insect pests and diseases. In the past few years, due to erratic weather patterns, there has been an alarmingly increased infestation of different insect pests, both invasive and non-invasive, resulting in substantial economic losses to this industry. One similar case was seen in the Himalayan region of India, where the apple crop in Karewas was heavily damaged by some invasive fruit borer, feeding on pulp and making galleries to reach the seed locules, thereby destroying the seed material. To ascertain the true identity of this pest, a study based on morpho-molecular characterization of this pest was carried out in the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir, India, during the years 2021 and 2022. The invasive fruit samples were collected from apple orchards at different locations (experimental sites) in North India by installing delta sticky traps @ 5 traps/ha for moth collection. The fruit-boring larvae and pupa were also collected and reared in confined chambers of the laboratory with controlled temperature and humidity. All the laboratory investigations were conducted at the Division of Entomology, FoA, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir. During the investigation, it was confirmed that the invasive borer is a codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.), a member of the family Tortricidae, order Lepidoptera, which was earlier having quarantine importance in India, as it was only present in the Ladakh region of India. From the phylogenetic analysis of sample sequences, the species of codling moth present at all experimental sites was more identical to the codling moth sequence from Leh (the northernmost arid region), India. Further, the study of life cycle and voltinism revealed that codling moth completes three generations per year in Kashmir, with a single cycle lasting up to 2.5 months. However, the timing of various generations varies, depending on prevailing weather conditions at specific locations and times. The number of generations completed by codling moth in Kashmir conditions during apple growing season was three full and a half overwintering generations. The study of the life cycle of this important pest was necessary to know the weak link for its effective management and to prevent the economic loss in apple fruit.

An inventory of moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) from Kullu and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh

The current research work was done to evaluate the diversity and distribution of moths (Lepidoptera) from Kullu and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh. The sample of moths was collected from 4 villages in Mandi (Sadar Mandi, Joginder Nagar, Sarkaghat, and Sunder Nagar) that lie at an altitude of 750–1,200 m above the main sea level and 5 villages in Kullu (Banjar, Tandi, Chethar, Bini, and Bahu) that lie at an altitude of 1,300–2,000 m above the main sea level. The collection was done in the months from August 2020 to October 2020 and June 2021 to October 2021. The collection of moths was done at night because moths are nocturnal species, using a light trap method. The samples were then sacrificed using a few drops of ethyl acetate in a killing jar. Afterward, the samples were pinned and stretched. A total of 300 samples (230 from Kullu and 70 from Mandi) were collected, which belong to 82 species, 67 genera, 20 subfamilies, and 14 families were collected and identified. From Kullu district, we collected 43 species, and from Mandi, we collected 13 species. Other than these, 26 species were found to be common in both Kullu and Mandi districts, making a total of 69 species from Kullu and 39 species from Mandi. The genitalia dissection of 54 moth’s samples was also performed. The most species-rich family was Erebidae, which includes 40 species, and the most abundant species during the study was Nyctemera adversata (Schaller, 1788). The moth’s population was found to be highest in the Kullu district, and the diversity of moths was highest in the months of July- September and declined from October onward.

Identification of Heliothinae species (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in chickpeas in central Brazil

ABSTRACT Chickpea is a commercially exploited crop on a relatively new scale in Brazil, that is why, little information on the main pests is available. Mostly caterpillars showing Heliothinae morphological characteristics have emerged in production areas. In order to point out the species of these insects in chickpea fields produced in the Federal District and the surrounding areas, this study aimed to determine the morphological and molecular identification of these invertebrates in order to assist producers in pest management in a more sustainable way. Caterpillars were hand-collected directly from the plants in six sites and the moth collection was collected using light traps in four sites, monthly, in 2017 and 2018. The morphological identification was made through the adult insect genitalia and the subsequent molecular identification was performed using the cytochrome oxidase I enzyme with the quantitative PCR technique, which resulted in the development of an efficient and low-cost DNA extraction protocol to be used in samples under unfavorable storage conditions. Morphological and molecular studies showed the presence of Helicoverpa armigera, Helicoverpa zea, Chloridea virescens and Chloridea subflexa, with a predominance of Chloridea virescens in chickpea plants. Chloridea subflexa was verified for the first time feeding on chickpeas in Brazil.

George Lyell and Frederick Parkhurst Dodd: authority and expertise in nineteenth-century Australian entomology

This article focuses on the correspondence and careers of two lepidopterists, George Lyell and F. P. Dodd. Drawing on Dodd’s unpublished letters to Lyell during the late nineteenth-century rage for butterflying, it examines how private acquisition gave way to the professional activity of collecting and, in Lyell’s case, the eventual gifting of a large and significant collection of moths and butterflies to the National Museum of Victoria from 1932 through to 1946. The article also examines how issues of authority and expertise were measured and contested among collectors in this period.

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Brazil: the Big Outbreak Monitored by Light Traps.

The first detection of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Brazil pointed to a gloomy future for South American agriculture in the 2012/2013 harvest, and insecticide sales increased exponentially during 2013 and 2014. However, after this outbreak, the population of this insect returned to manageable levels. This study documents data on H. armigera moth collection using light traps during the outbreak in two locations: (a) western region of the state of Bahia, including population levels of H. armigera and main noctuid pests during the big outbreak (February and March 2013); (b) Federal District, including monthly data for five growing seasons (July 2012-June 2017). During the outbreak, an average of 527.3 moths were collected per trap (cotton crop, March) in the western region of Bahia each night, while the maximum average in the Federal District was 75.4 moths (January). The number of moths decreased in the following growing seasons, and in October 2016, the maximum number was 2.8 moths per trap. Aspects related to the variations of H. armigera and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)populations, including the study of phenology and relationship with climatic factors and Oceanic Niño Index, were analyzed and discussed. All aspects are approached to contribute to the management of lepidopteran pests, especially H. armigera, in the productive systems of the Brazilian Cerrado.

Tussock Moths: A Bio-indicator of Disturbed Ecosystems

In the wake of invasive species and climate change, sub-family Lymantriinae a neglected group was chosen to evaluate and consider as bio-indicator of the disturbed ecosystem with anthropogenic activities. In the present study, moth collections were carried out through a light trap in the plains at the foot hills of the Nilgiris and hilly regions of lower Pulney hills. The hilly region was more abundant with 260 individuals of 18 species from 12 genera under 5 tribes than the plains with 87 individuals of 14 species from 10 genera under 4 tribes. The dominant Lymantriid fauna were distinctly different for both regions. Plains were dominated by Aroa simplex attributed to prevalence of Lantana camera and hilly regions dominated by Perina nuda on Artocarpus heterophyllus intercropped in coffee plantations. The alpha diversity analysis also indicated that the hilly region was species-rich than the plains with more anthropogenic activities through Shannon Weiner Diversity index, Simpson’s Diversity index, Margalef Index of Species Richness, Equitability J Evenness Index, Jaccard and Sorensen Indices of Similarity.

Additions and Corrections to the Fauna of Moths and Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of the Kola Peninsula (Murmansk Oblast), NW Russia

Collection of moths and butterflies during 2010–2019 revealed 15 species not previously reported from the Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Revision of published data added nine more species to the regional fauna. We also confirmed records of 14 species known only from old publications, and report records of 83 infrequent species, which clarify their distribution within the study region or demonstrate interesting ecological patterns. Especially noteworthy are records of Argyresthia retinella, Levipalpus hepatariella, Araschnia levana, Macroglossum stellatarum and Endromis versicolora. We discuss the occurrence of 10 moth species in the Murmansk Oblast that had been based on erroneous or doubtful identifications, and therefore not included in our list. The known fauna of moths and butterflies of the Murmansk Oblast now totals 834 species. We estimate that the regional Lepidopteran fauna may include 1000 to 1020 species.

Additions to the Fauna of Moths and Butterflies (Lepidoptera) of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia

Collection of moths and butterflies in the city of Arkhangelsk, Solovetsky Islands, Pinezhsky and Kargopolsky districts carried out between 2017 and 2019, and identification of occasional samples resulted in the discovery of 47 species of Lepidoptera not previously reported from the Arkhangelsk Oblast; three more species were added to the regional fauna based on published data. Especially noteworthy are the findings of Coleophora proterella (a recently described species; the first record from Russia), Clostera albosigma (the westernmost European record) and Bryotropha affinis (a rare, mainly coastal species in Fennoscandia). We also confirmed the records of eight species known from old publications only, and we report new localities for 318 species. To date, the known fauna of the Arkhangelsk Oblast totals 1188 species of moths and butterflies (639 species of microlepidoptera and 549 species of macrolepidoptera); 62 of these are classified as threatened in Finland. We estimate that the regional fauna of Lepidoptera amounts to 1800 species.

COI Gene: A Reliable Tool for Tracing the Phylogeny in Sphingid Moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae

In the current study, a partial sequence of 536 bp (approx) of COI gene for seven species belonging to family Sphingidae were analysed. The study was conducted on a collection of moths from northern India, mainly in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. The sequences have been added to the database at GenBank NCBI. The analysis showed mean K2P divergence of 0.59% at intraspecific level, 6.3% at interspecific and 12.2% at intergeneric level. The analysis showed a hierarchal increase in K2P mean divergence across different taxonomic levels giving an intraspecific range of 0.0% to 3.6%, interspecific range of 5.8% to 9.3% and intergeneric range of 8.6% to 13.8%.

Variability Studies on Yield, Drought Tolerant and Mechanical Harvestable Traits in Genotypes of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

In the current study, a partial sequence of 536 bp (approx) of COI gene for seven species belonging to family Sphingidae were analysed. The study was conducted on a collection of moths from northern India, mainly in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. The sequences have been added to the database at GenBank NCBI. The analysis showed mean K2P divergence of 0.59% at intraspecific level, 6.3% at interspecific and 12.2% at intergeneric level. The analysis showed a hierarchal increase in K2P mean divergence across different taxonomic levels giving an intraspecific range of 0.0% to 3.6%, interspecific range of 5.8% to 9.3% and intergeneric range of 8.6% to 13.8%.

Preliminary checklist of moths (Lepidoptera: Glossata) of Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu

The present research was carried out to document the moth fauna of Annamalai Nagar during December, 2015 to November, 2016 comprising four seasons for a period of one year, from agriculture and horticulture ecosystems using light traps and host rearing methods. The sheet method was used to record moth insects individually without any damage. Any moths that alight on the screen were recorded in jars just after sunset between 18.00 – 23.00 hr. A total of 2,679 moths were recorded using all the three types of methods employed in the study. Out of which, light trap was found with maximum of 2,253 moths followed by manual collection (369) and host rearing (57) from four different sites of observation. Among the sites, light trapping of moths were observed maximum (656) in Orchard followed by Experimental farm with 629 numbers. The diversity of moths was observed in the study area of Annamalai Nagar indicated the presence of 70 genera and 56 species identified under nine superfamilies of Clades viz., Obtectomera (Pyraloidea and Thyridoidea) Macroheterocera (Noctuoidea, Bombycoidea, Geometroidea, Lasiocampoidea) Apoditrysia (Pterophoroidea and Cossoidea) Ditrysia (Tineoidea). The families namely Crambidae, Erebidae, Noctuidae, Sphingidae, Bombycidae, Uraniidae, Thyrididae, Eupterotidae, Geometridae, Pterophoridae, Lasiocampidae, Cossidae and Psychidae were observed in the study area. Out of which, the family Erebidae alone had 28 genera and 25 species and found to be the superior family. From the results, it was clear that light trapping was superior in collection of moths during night times.

On a collection of Moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) from the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACTIn the present study, 99 species of 83 genera under 14 families of moths have been documented from the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Among the recorded species, four are a n...

A Semi-Automatic Device for Mass Production of the Rice Moth, Corcyra Cephalonica (Stainton) (Lep., Pyralidae), and Evaluation of several Biological and Economic Parameters to Develop a Package of Practice for its Commercial Production

A specially designed larval rearing unit with automatic moth collection device and an oviposition cage that leads to automatic egg collection have been developed, illustrated and described for mass-production of the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae). These resulted in solving some of the major problems associated with Corcyra production such as moth collection, scale contamination, health hazard, cross infestation, undesirable parasitization, etc. and savings of over 70% on labour. A UV chamber for irradiation of the eggs and a method for cleaning the eggs have also been described. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of various food grains revealed that coarsely crushed bajra (pearl millet) was the most economical and effective diet over groundnut, sorghum, rice and wheat. Studies were also carried out to assess various biological parameters such as proper ratio of eggs to diet for optimum development and moth emergence; influence of diet when offered in a single dose and split doses on larval development; impact of adult feeding; impact of number of moths per cage on egg-laying; and overall reproductive biology of C. cephalonica from egg to adult emergence. The results revealed that over-crowding the larvae or moths in rearing containers had negative impact on production and that feeding the moths had no advantage. Based on various biological and economic parameters, a package of practices for a daily production of 25 to 100 CC eggs of Corcyra is provided along with the non-recurring and recurring resources required. A floor plan for an insectary for mass-production of Corcyra is also indicated.

The Impact of Storage Times of Museum Insect Specimens on PCR Success: Case Study on Moth Collections in Indonesia

Museum specimens are vast repositories of genetic information of interests to biological researchers. Since a new method in DNA extraction, a non destructive method, has been reported to be successful in extracting DNA of museum specimens even fossils without any morphological damages, using museum specimens as resources of genetic information for molecular studies is becoming popular recently. However, the PCR success depends on the quality of the specimens. To evaluate the impact of the storage times of museum specimens on PCR success, we conducted DNA extraction of 14 dry museum specimens of the moths collected from 1992 to 2010 by using a non destructive method. The results showed that the DNA specimens museum were fragmented into various sizes (100-1000 bp) depend on the storage times. On the other hand, fresh specimens which were preserved within absolute ethanol were almost not fragmented. The specimens of < 6 years old (2005-2010) succeed to amplify in 650 bp amplicon but for some specimens of 7 years old (2 of 3 specimens) resulted in a very weak amplification. These specimens, however, were able to amplify strongly in 300 bp amplicon. The results also showed that specimens of 1-19 years old were success to amplify in 100 bp amplicon.

Development of a Device to Collect Mass-Reared False Codling Moth,Thaumatotibia leucotreta(Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in a Commercial Insectary

The false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick), has been reared successfully for many years in several small insectaries in South Africa (Schwartz 1971). Rearing was for various purposes, including research, production of the egg parasitoid, Trichogrammatoidea cryptophlebia Nagaraja (Schwartz 1977), and for commercial production of the false codling moth granulovirus, CrleGV (Moore 2002; Moore et al. 2004). The techniques commonly used were adequate for the scale on which rearing was conducted. In 2002 the South African citrus industry initiated research on the sterile insect technique for false codling moth control. As this project progressed it became apparent that the equipment previously used was inadequate for mass rearing false codling moth for commercial sterile insect technique purposes. A programme was launched to design new equipment that would allow for the production of 15 million insects per week. This equipment was installed in a new insectary, Xsit (Pty) Ltd, recently built in Citrusdal, South Africa, for the mass rearing of false codling moth. Amongst others, a moth collection system, using cyclonic separators, was installed. The technical principles in the use of cyclonic separators for particulate matter collection have often been described as in Griffin (1994). However, the development of this type of equipment specifically for the collection of mass-reared moths is poorly documented and often only relates to models suitable for insect collection on a relatively small or laboratory scale, for example Wolf & Stiemann (1971). The use of cyclonic separators in new rearing facilities is therefore probably based on working models in existing mass-rearing facilities.

Community Analysis of the Moths in the Gotjawal Terrains of Jeju Island, Korea

Collection of moths in four Gotjawal terrains of Jeju Island was conducted using black light trap, beginning July through September 2005. The insects investigated were classified into 146 species, 15 families and 7 superfamilies, and Noctuoidea appeared to have accounted for 41.1%, or 60 species, which was the largest number among them, followed by Geometroidea. Ercheia niveostrigata was found to have been the dominant species over the entire area. The diversity index showed the highest at Aewol Gotjawal and the lowest at Hangyeong-Andeog Gotjawal. Aewol Gotjawal formed a cluster with Gujwa- Sungsan Gotjawal at the lowest chord distance (0.75). At the higher chord distance of 0.82, Jocheon- Hamdeog Gotjawal fused the cluster of Aewol Gotjawal and Gujwa-Sungsan Gotjawal. Hangyeong-Andeog Gotjawal fused with the rest three terrains, forming a single cluster at the highest chord distance of 0.89.

On the geometrid moths (Lepidoptera) of northern Cyprus, including three new records

This study reports on a collection of moths belonging to the family Geometridae (Lepidoptera), made in northern Cyprus between 2002 and 2004. Specimens were collected with light traps at 7 localities, and consisted of 47 species belonging to the 35 genera. Three species are new records for the fauna of Cyprus: Myinodes shohami Hausmann, 1994, Culpinia prouti (Thierry-Mieg, 1913) and Lithostege palaestinensis Amsel, 1935.

A hygienic and efficient method ofCorcyramoth and egg collection

Abstract The rice meal moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stainton is an important laboratory host for rearing a variety of egg, larval and egg‐larval parasitoids. Mass production of this insect is a prerequisite for the mass production of several biocontrol agents, such as trichogrammatids, braconids and chrysopids. During the handling of Corcyra culture in general, and cleaning of eggs in particular, workers can inhale scales of the moth, which cause serious respiratory problems. Secondly, collection of moths with the current techniques requires much time. To overcome these difficulties, two units using a domestic vacuum cleaner have been developed for the collection of moths and eggs. Moths are directly collected into the oviposition cage at about 4000 moths/h. With the egg collection unit the scales are agitated in a closed bucket and safely collected into the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner. Eggs freed from scales are collected from the base of the bucket. The techniques offer a clean and efficient method of c...

Japanese moth collection lands in London

Japanese moth collection lands in London

2.0 MASS-PRODUCTION OF TRICHOGRAMMA MINUTUM RILEY ON FACTITIOUS HOST EGGS

AbstractA system was developed to produce large numbers (30 × 106 per week) of Trichogramma minutum Riley on eggs of the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier). The parasitized host eggs were packaged and shipped in bulk for release against the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), and several other lepidopterous pests. Initial attempts to use the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller), as a host failed due to such factors as infestation by mites and parasitoids, low fecundity, long generation time, and the necessity for large labour inputs during moth collection. Eggs of S. cerealella, used to rear the host, remained viable when stored for up to 1 month at 9 °C, but eggs stored at 2 °C remained acceptable for parasitism for only 15 days. Rearing the host at high humidity (&gt; 70% RH) gave better percentage emergence and infestation of grain than rearing at low humidity (&lt; 30% RH). Developmental rates of T. minutum were determined over a range of temperatures and the developmental threshold and heat unit accumulations necessary for complete development were calculated. Using these values, Trichogramma were programmed, during the latter stages of production, to emerge within 24 h of exposure to light at room temperature. The programming facilitated shipment and handling of the parasitoids prior to their release.