Lepidopteran Pests Associated with Safflower: Survey and Taxonomic Redescription
Shankara Murthy Muddappa *
Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Beemarayanagudi, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur – 585287, Karnataka, India.
Pasam Maheswara Reddy
Department of Entomology, School of Agriculture, Mohan Babu University, Tirupati – 517102, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Lepidoptera are the most important pest species of safflower and act as either defoliators or capsule borers. In the current paper, lepidopteran pests associated with safflower in North Karnataka are reviewed through roving survey. Totally, five species were collected and reared on the same host. Among these pests, Condica capensis (Guenée) was found to be predominant, followed by Heliothis peltigera (Denis & Schiffermüller). Further, the morphological characteristics of adults of all the five species are redescribed along with images and key.
Keywords: Damage symptoms, Karnataka, keys, lepidopteran pests, Noctuidae, safflower, survey, taxonomic redescription