Spodoptera picta Guerin-Meneville

Phalaena (Noctua) festiva Donovan, 1805, Insects New Holland, p1. 36, praeocc.

Polia picta Guerin-Meneville, 1830, Voy. de Coquille, 2: 285.

Diagnosis

This is the largest of Bornean Spodoptera. It has forewing pattern elements similar to those of S. litura but set on a pale, dull yellow background.

Taxonomic notes

This species and the genus of which it is type (CalogrammaGuenee) were assigned to Spodoptera by Sugi in Inoue et al. (1982).

Geographical range

Indo-Australian tropics.

Habitat preference

Three specimens from Kuching have been seen, and one from Seria on the coast of Brunei. The species may prove to be coastal.

Biology

The life-history has been described by Sevastopulo (1939b) and by Robinson (1975, with references to other descriptions). The eggs are laid in a clump covered by abdominal scales in typical Spodoptera fashion. The larvae are gregarious. Fully grown they are brown with black and white irrorations, dorsal arid subspiracular yellow lines, and a large transverse black patch on Al; the venter is purple. The cutting edge of the mandibles is serrate.

Pupation is subterranean in an earthen cocoon.

The host-plants are Liliaceae, particularly Crinum species. Crinum bulbs are used to make squid lures in Fiji and, as the larvae are often highly destructive to this plant, the species could be considered a pest of the fishing industry (Robinson, 1975).

Genitalia: