''Maruca vitrata'' is a
pantropical insect pest of
leguminous crops like
pigeon pea,
cowpea,
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
and
soybean. Its common names include the maruca pod borer, bean pod borer, soybean pod borer, mung moth, and the legume pod borer. The species was first described by
Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787.
It can cause losses of 20–80% on the harvests of cowpeas.
Its feeding sites on plants are flower buds, flowers and young pods. In some cases early
instars feed on flower
peduncles and young stems.
Methods for control
Biological
Some
parasitoid
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...
s have been shown to serve as a biological control for ''Maruca vitrata''.
Parasitoid wasps families include
Braconidae
The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...
and
Ichneumonidae; some
parasitoid
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...
flies in the
Tachinidae are also natural enemies of the moth. ''M. vitrata'' prefers to lay its eggs on the flowering bodies of the cowpea plant. Efforts have been made to deter ''M. vitrata'' from reproducing on the plant ranging from
pesticide
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...
s to a chemical specifically designed to sterilize the moth.
Distribution
Worldwide in the tropics. Asia, Africa, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia & Oceania.
Pestnet.org
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References
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External links
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Spilomelinae
Moths described in 1787
Lepidoptera of Cameroon
Moths of Madagascar
Lepidoptera of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Moths of Japan
Moths of Mauritius
Moths of Seychelles
Moths of Réunion
Moths of Africa
Pantropical fauna
Moths of North America
Moths of South America
Moths of the Caribbean
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