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: drtkghosal@gmail.com
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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.
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3. Hypopyra vespertilio, (Fab.1787)
Family : Noctuidae
Sub Family : Catocalinae
The larvae feed on Albizia, Acacia, Wisteria, camellia etc .
Female adult
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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.
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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.
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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.
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CB/Mo 267

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

9. Phalera bucephala
Family : Notodontidae
Sub Family : Phalerinae
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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., Xylia 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)
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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
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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. 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