ISHS Acta Horticulturae 275: International Symposium on the Culture of Subtropical and Tropical Fruits and Crops
THE AFRICAN LUNAR MOTH, ARGEMA MIMOSAE (LEPIDOPTERA: SATURNIIDAE), A POTENTIAL PEST OF MARULA |
| Author: | M.A. van den Berg |
| Abstract:
The African lunar moth, Argema mimosae (Bsd.), is endemic to south-central Africa. The larvae feed on the foliage of the marula, Sclerocarya caffra (Sond.), and may cause substantial defoliation which can reduce growth and/or fruit production. At average temperatures of about 25°C eggs hatch after 10.9 days, and the first to fifth larval instars are completed in means of 5.6, 4.2, 3.4, 5.8 and 14.1 days respectively. The pupal stage lasts 6–12 weeks in summer and 5–8 months in winter. The African lunar moth completes two generations per year. Marula trees are attacked during the months October to December and February to March when most of the larvae are in their fourth and fifth instar. The egg parasitoids Anastatus sp. (sp. a) and Mesocomys pulchriceps Cam. (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) have been reared from A. mimosae eggs placed in the field. In the laboratory two other eupelmids, Mesocomys vuilleti (Crawf.) and Anastatus sp. (sp.b), parasitise eggs of the African lunar moth. | |
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