Moth of North Bengal Part 7

Brief description with images

1. Moth of North Bengal, India Part 7 Published :24.02.2017 Dr Tusar K. Ghosal Department of Agril . Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya , Pundibari-736165, West Bengal E mail: [email protected] ©

2. Tropical swallowtail moth, Lyssa zumpa Butler 1869 Bengali Name : Jumpa moth Family : Uraniidae Sub Family : Microniinae CB/Mo 262 The larvae feed on Endospermum and other members of the rubber tree family ( Euphorbiaceae ). I had collected it from road at Cooch Behar town on 04.11.2014. ©

3. Hypopyra vespertilio , (Fab.1787) Family : Noctuidae Sub Family :  Catocalinae The larvae feed on Albizia , Acacia, Wisteria, camellia etc . Female adult © CB/Mo 263

4. Plume Moth, Crombrugghia wahlbergi (Zeller 1847) Family : Pterophoridae Tribe : Oxyptilini It is not considered as pest in this area although its larvae feed on Oxalis sp ( Oxalidaceae ). CB/Mo 264

5. Red Slug Caterpillar Moth,  Eterusia aedea  (Linnaeus, 1763) Family : Zygaenidae Sub Family Chalcosiinae Its larvae is considered now as important defoliator of tea leaf during the last decade. I had noticed its damage at Mathura tea garden in the year 2010 first. © CB/Mo 265

6. Bag Worm, Clania   crameri Family : Psychidae   Its female moth is apterous , maggot like. The eggs are laid within the pupal case. The larva constructs its case and remaining within it feed on the leaves. It becomes full grown in about five weeks. It is recorded from Guava tree from Cooch Behar town. The caterpillar scrapes the tissues of the leaves causing circular holes on the leaf. © © CB/Mo 266

7. Winter Moth , Operophtera sp Family : Larentiinae The larvae will feed on a range of broadleaved trees and shrubs, as well as heather and bog-myrtle. © CB/Mo 267

8. Teak defoliator, Hyblae puera (Cramer 1777) Family : Hybleidae © The teak defoliator is present year round in teak plantations CB/Mo 268

9. Phalera bucephala Family : Notodontidae Sub Family : Phalerinae © Deciduous trees; most frequently on sallows , birches, oaks and Hazel ( Corylus avellana ) but also Alder ( Alnus glutinosa ), limes, elms, Beech ( Fagus sylvatica ), Rowan ( Sorbus aucuparia ), Hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus ) and Sycamore ( Acer pseudoplatanus ), preferring those in sunny locations. CB/Mo 269

10. Monkey Moth , Eupterote lineosa (Walker, 1855) Bengali name : Hanu moth Super Family : Bombycoidea , Family : Eupterotidae Sub Family : Eupterotinae Tribe : Eupterotini The larval host plant recorded on Coffea arabica , Eugenia, Marsa indica , Persea sp etc. © CB/Mo 270

11. Monkey Moth , Eupterote bifasciata   Kishida , 1994 Bengali name : halud hanu moth Super Family : Bombycoidea Family : Eupterotidae The larval host plant recorded on Macarranaa indica . Veronia arborea , Coffea arabica , Eugenia, Marsa indica , Persea sp etc. Sub Family : Eupterotinae Tribe : Eupterotini CB/Mo 271

12. Monkey Moth, Eupterote sp Bengali name : Sabuj hanu moth Super Family : Bombycoidea Family : EupterotidaeSub Family : Eupterotinae Tribe : Eupterotini The larval host plant recorded on Macarranaa indica . Veronia arborea , Coffea arabica , Eugenia, Marsa indica , Persea sp etc. © CB/Mo 272

13. Day flier butterfly moth, Tetragonus catamitus Geyer 1832 Family : callidulidae   Easily confused with butterfly. I had seen it at Rasikbill forest area visiting fern and few other wild herbs during winter season. CB/Mo 273

14. Tea Looper , Biston suppressaria ( Guenee 1858) Super Family : Geometroidea Family : Geometridae Sub family Geometrinae Larva known to feed on Camellia sinensis , Mangifera indica , Lichi chinenis , Acacia, Albizia , Cassia Eucalyptus etc. It common in the tea gardens of this area. CB/Mo 274

15. Black looper ,  Hyposidra talaca , (Walker 1860) Super Family : Geometroidea Family : Geometridae Sub Family : Geometrinae It is a major defoliating pest in tea, teak Acacia catechu, Aleurites sp., Bombax malabaricum , Cassia fistula, Cupressus torulosa , Dalbergia sissoo , Ficus glomerata , Hevea brasiliensis , Holarrhena antidysenterica , Lantana sp., Quercus incana , Morus alba, Scheiehera oleosa , Siegesbeckia orientalis , Syzygium cuminii , Tectona grandis , Shorea robusta , Terminalia tomentosa , Toona ciliata and Xylia xylocarpa1. Adults commonly observed during June in field and egg laying starts in July around the bark and twigs of teak tree. © CB/Mo 275

16. Lewes wave, Scopula emissaria   (Walker 1861) Bengali Name : Chhari poka Super Family : Geometroidea Family: Geometridae Sub Family : Ennominae   It is occational minor of white Jute ( Corchours capsularis ), tossa Jute ( Corchorus olitorius ) etc . Its caterpillars usually feed leaves of jute in this area. CB/Mo 276

17. Green moth, Orothalassodes falsaria Prout , 1912. Super Family : Geometroidea Family: Geometridae Subfamily Geometrinae It is not recorded as pet in this area although its caterpillars feed on leaves of Mangifera india , Polyalthia sp ., Rosa sp ., Xyli a sp. etc . CB/Mo 277

18. Emeralds, Comibaena sp Family : Geometridae Its host plant is Pedunculate Oak ( Quercus robur ) and probably Sessile Oak ( Quercus petraea ) © © CB/Mo 278

19. Green Bumble-bee Hawkmoth , Cephonodes picus (Cramer in 1777) Bengali Name : Sabuj vramor moth Super Family : Bombycoidea , Family : Sphingidae Sub Family : Macroglossinae Tribe : Hemarini Its caterpillars are recorded from Coffea , jasminum , Gardenia, Morinda etc. They are green with a bluish white dorsal line and white dorso -lateral ones. CB/Mo 279

20. Hibiscus Leafroller ,  Haritalodes (= Sylepta ) derogata Fab . 1775   Super Family : Pyroloidea Family Crambidae Subfamily : Spilomelinae Its common hot plants are Abelmoschus esculentus (okra), Gossypium (cotton), Hibiscus (rose mallows). Corchorus capsularis (white jute), Corchorus olitorius (jute), Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), Solanum melongena (egg plant) etc © CB/Mo 280

21. Woolly bear, Pericallia ricini Bengali Name : Kala bicha Superfamily : Noctuoidea Family : Erebidae Sub Family : Arctiinae   Caterpillars are caused defoliation on leaves of castor, jute, linseed, groundnut pigeonpea , mustard, grapevine, cotton, pomegranate, mango etc CB/Mo 281

22. Wasp moth Amata cyssea  (Stoll 1782) Bengali Name : Bolta moth Superfamily : Noctuoidea Family : Erebidae Its larvae prefer to feed on Avena sativa  ( Poaceae ),  Ipomoea batatas   ( Convolvulaceae ), Lantana camara   ( Verbenaceae ),  Santalum album  ( Santalaceae ). Sub Family : Arctiinae Tribe : Syntomini CB/Mo 282

23. Barsine   linga   spilosomoides  (Moore, 1878) Superfamily : Noctuoidea Family : Erebidae Sub Family : Arctinae It is recorded from Indo Bhutan border near Chapramari to jaldhaka road. Its host is unknown to me . CB/Mo 283

24. Moth diversity at a glance More than half ( above 65 % ) of the world ̓s known animal species are insects (Wilson, 1992) in which Lepidoptera is the second largest and the most diverse order of the class Insecta (Benton, 1995). Lepidoptera being a second largest order of class Insecta having about 47 Super Families. The present total number of recorded Lepidopteran species approaches nearly 1,74,250, Butterflies and Skippers are estimated around 17,950 and Moths are making up 1,56,300 (Mallet, 2007).

25. Moth diversity in West Bengal, India In India, estimated moth species were 11,300 according to Peter Smetacek (2011), It should be now nearly 12,000. In West Bengal, documented moth species is over 1058, belonging to 38 families and 83 sub families and 614 genera. In West Bengal, family Geometridae includes maximum number (342 species) followed by Erebidae (212 species), Crambidae (169 species), Sphingidae (88 species), Pyralidae (46 species), Zygaenidae (36 species), Noctuidae (34 species), Lasiocampidae (25 species), Saturniidae (20 species) and Tortricidae (13 species). The rest of the families are represented by less than ten species.

26. Dedicated to all UBKV staff members especially Prof (Dr. ) S K Senapati Prof (Dr. ) J. Ghosh Prof (Dr. ) N. Laskar Prof. (Dr.) T. Dhar Prof. (Dr.) S. Paul Dr. Nilanjana Choudhuri Dr. S. Sahoo Dr Moulita Chatterjee Dr D. Chacraborty Mr P. Sarkar Mr. S. Dhar & Mr A.Lepcha