QOL 461 B933 ENT QUEENSLAND. BUREAU OF SUGAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. BULLETIN No. 9. SOME LEPIDOPTEROUS PESTS ‘New to Sugar-Cane in Queensland BY Z wk 13 1920 dy et “fiona: muse> L920. BRISBANE: By Authority : Anthony James Cumming, Government Printer. = QUEENSLAND. BUREAU OF SUGAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY. BULLETIN No. 9. SOME LEPIDOPTEROUS PESTS New to Sugar-Cane in Queensland BY EDMUND JARVIS, Assistant Entomologist. BRISBANE: By Authority: Anthony James Cumming, Government Printer. 5 yr OO ai). Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, Brisbane, Ist January, 1920. The Under Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Stock, Brisbane. Sir,—I have the honour to recommend for publication as Bulletin No. 9 of the Division of Entomology, Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, the following ‘‘ Notes on some Lepidopterous Pests new to Sugar Cane in Queensland,’’ by Mr. Edmund Jarvis, Assistant Entomologist. I have, &c., HARRY T. EASTERBY, General Superintendent. Approved: E. G. BE. SCRIVEN, Under Sezretary. Cirphis loreyi Dup. Mocis frugalis ¥. Melanitis leda banksia Fab. 4. 5) 6. Padraona hypemoloma Lower. Anthela acuta Walker. Ophiusa melicerte Drury. SS / OS O——————S) e 2 SOVMESLEPIDOPTEROUS *PESES New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. 8 © <0) ) My object in publishing the following notes is to officially record the presence in North Queensland canefields of a few Lepidoptera not included in Bulletin No. 3 of this Office. Four of these insects affect cane in other countries; two of them— which happen to be closely related to the destructive ‘‘Army Worm’”’ (Cirphis unipuncta Haw.)—becoming at times sufficiently injurious to necessitate repressive measures. In addition to describing, where thought advisable, early life- eycle stages, the writer has prepared lists enumerating a number of Lepidoptera allied to the insects under consideration that affect cane elsewhere, reference to which will enable readers to determine at a glance indigenous species that may prove hurtful to this crop in the future, together with those whose possible introduction into Queensland is undesirable. Among the latter class, for instance, may be cited the ‘‘ Pink Borer’’ of cane (Sesamia vuteria Stoll.), an insect very closely related to our own moth-borer Phragmatiphila truncata Walk. D’Emmerez de Charmoy considers this pest the most harmful cane borer in Mauritius. ‘‘Its attacks,’’ he states, ‘‘are so severe in certain localities that it is not uncommon to notice young virgin fields completely destroyed or so mined that only a few plants remain, whose presence seems to emphasise the importance of the damage done.”’ It was introduced into Mauritius in cane-stalks, and occurs also as a serious sugar pest in Celebes, Java, Reunion, Madagascar, and throughout Africa. During 1909 Kirealdy! published a preliminary catalogue of the insects frequenting canefields, in which he mentions no less than eighty- two species of Lepidoptera. Of these fully 75 per cent. belong to the Bombylide, Noctuide, Pyralide, and Tineidwe; the remainder being seattered among eleven other families. 1“ A Bibliography of Sugar Cane Entomology.’’ Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association, Bulletin No. 8, Division of Entomology, Hawaii 1909. 6 Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. Since that date, however, we? have listed ten Australian species known to be more or less injurious, while possibly an additional thirty or forty lepidopterous insects might easily find a place in the fauna of our canefields. In all probability the total number of moths and butterflies at present recorded by entomologists as associated prejudicially with sugar- cane will be found to fall little short of 100 species. Whilst aware that some of the insects forming the subject of the present bulletin are of minor economic importance, the writer feels that their occurrence in Queensland canefields being of scientific interest warrants official recognition. CIRPHIS LOREYI Dup. (Family NOCTUID 2). (Figure 1.) Synonymy—Leucania albistigma Moore. Leucania collecta Walker. Leucania denotata Walk. Leucania designata Walk. Leucania exsanges Guen, Leucania exterior Walk. Leucania loreyi Dup. Leucana thoracica Walk, Leucania tenebrifera Walk. This moth was first noticed in the vicinity of Gordonvale, North Queensland, towards the end of the year 1914, when several specimens were bred at the Sugar Experiment Station from caterpillars found eating leaves of young plant and ratoon cane. Whilst writing Bulletin No. 3 of this Office in 1916 its occurrence here as a cane pest was overlooked, and not alluded to in subsequent monthly reports; so that up to the present it has never before been recorded by us. Larva, The caterpillar of this noctuid resembles somewhat in general appearance and colouration that of the well-known ‘‘ Army Worm’’ (Cirphis unpuncta Haw.), inflicting injuries to the foliage identical in character to those occasioned by the latter insect. Like larve of wnipuncta, they usually conceal themselves by day in the centre of affected plants among the unfolding leaves, and feed mostly at night-time; so that under such conditions the presence of loreyt might very easily remain unnoticed, and in all probability its occurrence in our canefields is by no means uncommon. Veitch® has deseribed Fiji specimens of the larva as being hght ***Notes on Insects Damaging Sugar Cane in Queensland.’’ QId. Bureau Sugar Iixperiment Stations, Div. Entomology Bull. No. 3, Brisbane 1916. *From an unpublished report entitled, ‘‘Some Observations on a Sugar-cane Army Worm, Cirphis loreyi Dup.’’ Fiji 1915. Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. 7 straw colour ‘‘with small brown spots irregularly scattered over the body.’’ The colouration, however, like that of certain related noctuid eater- pillars, doubtless varies somewhat under different climatic conditions. Our Gordonvale specimens of loreyi were reddish yellow, and produced imagos darker in shade than the typical form. It may be mentioned in this connection that during 1910, whilst in Victoria, the writer collected a number of exceptionally dark, well- marked caterpillars of Cirphis unipuncta Haw.—selected from an immense army that was traversing part of the western distriet—from which emerged a distinct variety of this moth with greyish wings. Imago, or Perfect Insect. This species differs from wnipwncta in being decidedly smaller, the fore-wings darker and lacking the indistinct oblique apical streak, and by the hind-wings being white, semihyaline, seldom suffused with fuscous. Hampson gives the following brief description :—‘‘Ochreous. Fore- wing with a dark or red-brown suffusion on median nervure and out- lining the obscure apical fascia; a postmedian series of specks; a white speck at lower angle of cell. Hind-wing semihyaline, white. Undersice immaculate. Some species have the head, thorax, abdomen, and fore- wing smoky-brown, irrorated with dark specks; hind-wing with some fuscous on outer margin. Expanse, 34-42 mm.’’ (Expanse of Cirphis unipuncta, 44-50 mm.) The specimens of loreyi bred at Gordonvale in 1914 had the fore- wing dark-brown, somewhat pinkish in certain lights. Natural Enemies. The only parasite reared from caterpillars of loreyi at Gordonvale was a small (undetermined) Tachinid fly; but doubtless, ike wnipuncta, this moth is kept in subjection by numerous natural enemies—predaceous, parasitic, and bacterial. Control. At present this species does not call for repressive measures in Queensland. Habitat. Europe; throughout India, Burma, and Ceylon: ( Hampson). Fiji. Specimens have been received by Mr. G. Lyell (lepidopterist) of Gisborne, Victoria, from Waroona (West Australia), Sydney, and Brisbane. e . In Rhodesia and Zanzibar it occurs as a notable pest of maize. 8 Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. LIST OF NOCTUIDZ AFFECTING SUGAR-CANE.* The following list of Noctuide, meluding seven species of Cirphis, have been recorded from various parts of the world as being more or less injurious to sugar-cane :— Agrotis crinigera Butler Agrotis dislocata Meyrick Argyroplece schistaceana Haw. Calymniodes (Prodenia) latifascia Walk. *Chusaris rhodias Turner Cirphis amblycasis Meyrick Cirphis humidicola Guen. Cirphis latiuscula H.S, *Cirphis loreyi Dup. .. Cirphis multilinea Walk. Cirphis pyrrhias Meyrick *Cirphis unipuncta Haw. Diacrisia strigulata Walk. Laphygma exigua Laphygma frugiperda 8. & i Lycophotia (Agrotis)infecta Boisd. Lycophotia margaritosa Haw. *Mocis frugalis Fab. Mocis repanda F. Mocis undata F. *Phragmatiphila truncata Walk. Prodenia litura F. .. Sesamia inferans Walk. Sesamia uniformis Dudg. Sesamia vulteria Stoll. Spodoptera mauritia Boisd. Spodoptera pecten Gn, Hawaii. Hawaii. Hawaii. 3ritish Guiana. Australia. Hawaii. Trinidad. Egypt; U.S. America; Porto Rico. India; Burma; Ceylon; Fiji; Java; Mauritius; Orient; Australia. U.S. America. Hawaii. U.S, America; India; Java; Mauritius; Australia. Orient. Egypt. Porto Rico; Trinidad; British Guiana. British Guiana. Hawaii. Orient; Australia; South America; British Guiana. Brazil; British Guiana; Barbados; Trinidad. Orient. Australia. India; Orient, India; Java; Orient; Reunion. India. Algeria; Mauritius; Java; Reunion. Mauritius; Hawaii. Orient. MOCIS FRUGALIS F. (Family NOCTUID*®). (Figure 2.) Synonymy—Chalciope lycopodia Geyer. Remigia frugalis Fabr. Remigia translata Walker. The first record of this insect as a cane-pest in Queensland was published in 1916, at which time, during April, thousands of slender greenish brown caterpillars were observed at Gordonvale and Meringa stripping the leaves of both young and old stools, often to the midrib, over areas of considerable extent. This damage was confined principally to plantations where weeds had been allowed to mature between the rows, these having perhaps attracted the moths in the first instance. = =f * * All Australian species listed in . this Bulletin are marke d by an asterisk. Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. 9 The caterpillars had evidently found the foilage of sugar-cane more palatable than their native food-plants, and were observed when attacking very young sets to consume the entire leaf-blade. While resting inactively on cane-stools the lava assumes a lineal position, lying stretched at full length against the midrib or edge of a leaf, usually selecting some dead brownish portion harmonising with its own general colouration. If touched it seeks to escape notice by falling to the ground, and, contorting the body to the shape of a letter S or U, lies rigid and motionless, exposing to view the black transverse edges of the fourth and fifth abdominal segments, which, together with the somewhat snake-like form assumed, may possibly serve in some way to frighten small insectivorous birds and lizards. Larva. General colour variable, ight pinkish grey or pale ochreous yellow, with two darker, broad, subdorsal bands running the whole length of body, and a narrower band of same shade just above spiracles extending from head to middle of tenth body segment. Each abdominal segment with four tiny black dots (seen with pocket lens) on subdorsal bands, larger towards and on anal segment, and partly encircled by a whitish eye-like blotch. A yellowish band occurs immediately below spiracles. Venter with central dark-brown or blackish stripe. Entire body closely marbled with numerous irregular fine lines consisting of chains of dots and short streaks. Hind marginal edge of fourth and fifth body segments velvety blue-black. Legs yellowish. Head inconspicuous, frontal half of eyes dark greenish brown, labrum yellowish, base and teeth of mandibles black. Body tapering gradually towards each extremity, and sprinkled with a few short black hairs. Length about 45 mm. (1? in.). Pupa. Pupa efflorescent, yellowish brown; eyes and dorsal surface reddish and much darker; mesonotum transversely wrinkled; extremity of anal segment bluntly convex, the dorsum of same furnished with tooth-like lamelle arranged in semicircle, becoming less pronounced on venter, and enclosing a few yellow, hooked bristles. Length 20 mm. (about #? in.). The pupa is generally concealed within a sort of tube made by the caterpillar webbing together opposite edges of a leaf-blade, the tips of the foliage being often selected for such purpose. Imago (Perfect Insect). Greyish brown; fore-wing with a much darker streak running from apex to hind margin, bordered internally with light yellow, outwardly with reddish brown and a submarginal row of black specks. Hind-wing with a suffused central band and broad outer border dark grey; tibize and tarsi of male clothed with long dense hairs. Average wing expanse 45 mm. (12 in.). 10 Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. Habitat. Widely distributed in Australia from Port Darwin to Sydney; being found also in West Africa and throughout the Oriental region. Its occurrence in Queensland as a cane-pest in 1916 may, I think, be attributed primarily to abnormal climatic conditions. The trying drought experienced during 1914 to 1915 terminated about December of the latter year, the rainfall registered for that month and January 1916 being collectively 48-1 in., as against 25-83, the average for these two months in the Cairns district during the preceding twenty-seven years. The caterpillars appeared about seven weeks subsequent to this down- pour, towards the end of March, and by April had attained sufficient size to work appreciable damage to the cane. It seems that very wet conditions apparently favour the increase of an allied noctuid, Laphygma frugiperda S. & A. (‘‘Southern Grass Worm’’). In Porto Rico, for instance, the larve of this moth*t in company with those of Mocis repanda F., are stated by H. T. Jones to have ‘‘oceurred during 1912 in enormous numbers at Rio Pedras over an area that had been overflowed during the previous month.’’ Among the factors assigned by him as possibly responsible for serious infestations of this nature may be mentioned—(1) migration of the species owing to unsuitable conditions, as lack of food, abundant water, &c¢., and (2) transportal by floods of the eggs and caterpillars amongst vegetable débris, &¢., which being washed from watersheds to low-lying ground would naturally tend to accumulate on flats hable to temporary flooding. In our own ease I am inclined to believe that the drought conditions already mentioned may have operated as a decided natural check to the inerease of various parasitic insect enemies of Mocis frugalis, thus enabling most of the first-brood caterpillars to attain the moth stage. An abundant food supply induced by copious rains insured the rapid development of these larva, causing also the resultant brood of moths to meet with conditions eminently favourable to the increase of their offspring. It was the enormously large number of eggs deposited by this second brood that gave rise to the July infestation, but apparently by that time the balance of nature had been practically restored, as the following brood of larvee occurring in the same locality during June (two months later) was very small. On this occasion, however, they were destroying plant cane growing in a paddock free from weeds of any kind, a fact which although trivial is not without significance, since it furnishes another illustration of the readiness with which certain insects will acquire a hking for cultivated plants. ? Mocis frugalis—termed in America ‘‘White Nile Army Worm’’— attacks sugar-cane in Brazil, where it has been known for the past twelve *««Some Notes on Laphygma frugiperda 8S. & A. in Porto Rieo,’’ Journal of Economie Entomology, vol. 6, p. 230, April 1913. Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. iI years. In British Guiana it occurs on cane as a minor pest; while in the Orient it damages sorghum and millet. The closely allied species Mocis repanda defoliates sugar-cane in British Guiana, Barbados, and Trinidad. Lastly, another species of the same genus—Mocis undata F.— attacks this crop in the Oriental region. Natural Enemies. The only insect enemies of frugalis observed by the writer are a tachinid fly (undetermined) and a Sphegid wasp (Spheax clavus Sm.) ; the former bred from pupx at Gordonvale in 1916, and the latter observed at Meringa during June 1918. This wasp was watched on several occasions in the act of boring the tunnel leading to its nest. The site selected by it in each case was the headland of a canefield, the soil being typical red voleanic and very dry. The nest consists simply of a narrow vertical tube about an inch long opening into a roughly excavated chamber ? by 14 in. in size, large enough to accommodate a single caterpillar. Having paralysed and carried its host to the spot, the parasite drags it underground, glues an egg to the venter of its fifth abdominal segment, and after blocking the lower portion of the tubular entrance with one or two large nodules of soil in order to prevent earth from falling into the chamber, fills the remainder with coarse particles, carefully hiding all signs of the where- abouts of the nest by levelling the surface and brushing dust over it. It may be of interest to state in this connection that in Trinidad Mocis repanda is preyed upon by Polistes canedensis J. & S., one of the social wasps. In Porto Rico the insect enemies of repanda are tachinid flies and a carabid beetle (Calosoma alternans F.). A bacterial disease is known to affect caterpillars of this species in British Guiana. Control Methods. Hand-picking, and dry arsenate of lead, have been recommended against repanda, the latter being considered the cheaper and more effec- tive remedy. Such treatment would apply equally to Mocis frugalis, and in the event of this pest becoming troublesome might be given a trial. MELANITIS LEDA Linn. (Family SATYRIN-®). (‘‘Leaf Butterfly’’ Figure 3.) Synonym—Cyllo leda Linne. Both forms of the Australian race of this widely distributed insect —viz., Melanitis leda banksia Fab., and M. leda banksia f. barnardi Lucas—have been bred by the writer at Gordonvale, North Queensland, from eggs deposited on the foliage of sugar-cane. The frequent occurrence of this butterfly in canefields was first noticed during 1916 (Australian Sugar Journal, vol. vill., p. 377), and naturally excited suspicion, as the insect in question was known to affect cane in Java and elsewhere. Examination of an extended area of young plant cane in the Cairns district resulted in a discovery of both eggs and 12 Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. larve of Melanttis on widely separated plantations; leaving little room for doubt that this butterfly, although of minor importance, breeds habitually in sueh situations. Owing to its habit of flying chiefly at nightfall, and more especially to its remarkable protective colouration, it contrives to avoid general notice, although a fairly plentiful insect in most reserves, public parks, &e. When disturbed it seldom flies more than a few feet, seeking rather to escape by dodging about in an erratic manner for a short distance and then settling hurriedly on the ground or amongst withered leaves, when it remains motionless, shutting its wings so as to expose to view only the leaf-like lower surface. Egg. The glassy, pale-green eggs, which are spherical and 1 mm. in diameter, are laid side by side in batches of from three to eight on the under surface of a leaf-blade. Larva. The caterpillar may be briefly described as grass-green, sluggish in habit, and about 2 in. long; the body finely tuberculate and tapering slightly towards each extremity. Owing to its colour, and custom of resting on the lower surface of leaves, it usually escapes detection, but when found will be seen at once to differ from the larve of other Queensland cane-pests in having two conspicuous reddish or dark-brown horns rising vertically from the head, while a couple of pointed fleshy protuberances project horizontally from the anal segment. Pupa. About 1 in. in length, stoutly proportioned, and of a uniform delicate shade of pea-green. Imago (Perfect Insect). This well-known butterfly is chocolate or red-brown on the upper surface, merging into dull orange on the fore-wings, which are deeply scalloped on outer edges and ornamented with a conspicuous, black, eye-like blotch enclosing two large white spots. The colouration of the lower surface varies from hght to very dark purplish brown, and is crossed by a few blackish lines resembling the veins of a leaf, the outer angles of the hind-wings being prolonged in the form of two short tails. Wing expanse about 3 in. According to Waterhouse and Lyell, the more abundant of our two forms of Melanitis (var. banksia Fab.) occurs from April to August and again later in the season; while the less plentiful, ocellated form (var. barnardi Lueas) is met with from December to March. In view of the interest attaching to our Australian forms of Melanitis, scientific readers are referred to the above authors for a detailed deseription of these butterflies.° °““The Butterflies of Australia,’’ Waterhouse and Lyell; Angus and Robertson Ltd., Sydney, Australia, 1914. Some Lepidopterous Pests New to Sugar Cane in Queensland. 13 Habitat. This insect has been recorded as damaging leaves of sugar-cane in Java, Mauritius, and North Queensland. A closely related species, Melanitis ismene Cr. is similarly destructive in the Orient. PADRAONA HYPOMOLOMA Lower. (Family HESPERID). (Figure 4.) Synonym—Ocybadistes hypomoloma Lower. This butterfly was recorded for the first time as feeding on cane- leaves in August 1917 (Australian Sugar Journal, vol. ix., p. 303), when it was observed by the writer damaging ‘‘ Badilla’’ plants growing in pots at the Entomological Laboratory, Gordonvale, North Queensland. It is the fourth species found attacking cane in the Cairns district, the other three—two of which affect cane in Java—having been previously recorded in Bulletin No. 3 of this Office. In 1914 A. P. Dodd, Assistant Entomologist, found larve of Telicota augias-krefitt Mael., Padraona marnas Feld., and Parnara mathias Fab., attacking cane leaves at Babinda and Harvey’s Creek; while in 1915 the writer bred augias-kreffti and mathias from affected stools at Gordon- vale, finding these two species to be of common occurrence in our canefields. Unfortunately the early stages of the life-cyele of hypomoloma were not noted. The pupa, however, which is about 2 in. long, is pale brownish yellow with a dull-red U-shaped plate on dorsum of anal segment bearing two very short pointed horns. The rounded edge of anal plate lying between these horns is scalloped, while the extremity of the anal segment is obtuse, reddish, somewhat flattened vertically, and furnished with numerous yellow bristles. The general colouration of this ‘‘skipper’’ butterfly may be briefly described as—Dark-brown, contrasted conspicuously with rich orange- yellow, the latter colour being arranged on fore-wing in the form of an oblique stripe near outer margin, and a large triangular blotch on costa. A broad transverse band of the same colour, placed below two spots, crosses the middle of hind-wing. Expanse—25 to 33 mm. (14 in.). A detailed description of this insect was published in 1911 by Lower, who placed it in genus Ocybadistes; to which entomologists are accord- ingly referred for more complete information regarding its specific distinction.° Waterhouse and Lyell, however, in 1914 merged Ocybadistes in Padraona, putting hypomoloma in the latter genus.‘ ®¢