1) The document discusses moths that belong to the superfamily Noctuoidea found in North Bengal, India, with a focus on moths that can be agricultural pests. 2) It provides details on over 20 different moth species, including their scientific names, host plants, and pest status. 3) The moths described represent a diverse range of families within the Noctuoidea superfamily, including Noctuidae, Erebidae, Nolidae, and others.

1. Moth of North Bengal, India
Part 2 Published : 22.08.2015
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. Moth diversity at a glance
(Super Family : Noctuoidea)
In India, approximately 12,000 species of
moths are recorded.
In West Bengal, documented moth species is
over 1058, belonging to 614 genera pertaining to
83 sub-families and 36 families.
Reference : SURESH KR. SHAH, APURVA DAS, RITAM DUTTA and BULGANIN MITRA
(2018).A Current List of the Moths (Lepidoptera) of West Bengal. Bionotes . 20(1):24-
91

3. Super Family : Noctuoidea
In our world, the Super Family Noctuoidea
comprises 43,000 described species which
are classified into 3800 genera. The larvae of
many noctuoids are pests, typically
associated with higher vascular plants, and
collectively have a massive commercial
impact annually.
Reference : Sivasankaran K, Anand S, Pratheesh Mathew, Ignacimuthu S (2017) Checklist of the
superfamily Noctuoidea (Insecta : Lepidoptera) from Tamil Nadu, Western Ghats, India. Check List
13 (6): 1101–1120

4. The superfamily Noctuoidea (order
Lepidoptera) comprises 43,000 described species
which are classified into 3800 genera (Nieukerken
et al. 2011), The larvae of many noctuoids are
pests, typically associated with higher vascular
plants, and collectively have a massive
commercial impact annually (Kitching 1984).
Family : Erebidae,
Noctuidae,
Euteliidae,
Nolida
Reference : Sivasankaran K, Anand S, Pratheesh Mathew, Ignacimuthu S (2017) Checklist of the
superfamily Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) from Tamil Nadu, Western Ghats, India. Check
List 13 (6): 1101–1120
Super Family : Noctuoidea

5. Potato cut worm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel 1776)
Bengali Name : Alur katui poka
Family : Noctuidae
Sub Family : Noctuinae, Tribe ; Agrotini
Its larva feed the stem of crops and vegetables. It sometime reported to be
notorious pest of potato in this area.
UBKV/CB/Mo-8

6. Cabbage semi-looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner)
Bengali Name : Kopir ghora poka
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family Noctuidae
Subfamily Plusiinae , Tribe Argyrogrammatini
Tribe
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Its larva cause damage to cabbage, cauliflower, tomato leaves.
UBKV/CB/ Mo / 10

7. Swarming Caterpillar, Spodoptera mauritia (Boisduval,1833)
Bengali Name : Jhankbandha leda
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Noctuidae
Sub Family : Amphipyrinae
©
CB/ Mo / I 210
©Occational but cause severe
damage on paddy field. Its
caterpillars are reported to be
major pest of paddy and other
grasses.

8. Tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner,1808)
Bengali name : Suti chidrakari poka
Family : Noctuidae
Subfamily : Heliothinae
It is polyphagus. Its larva damage mainly tomato in this area. It also damage
pulses, ground nut, okra, tobacco, cotton, sunflower, drumstick, bitter gourd,
onion, amaranths, chilli, cowpea, garden pea etc .
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UBKV/CB/ Mo 42
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9. Jute Semilooper, Anomis sabulifera Guenee
Bengali Name : Pater Ghora poka
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Noctuidae
Sub Family : Scoliopteryginae, Tribe Anomini
It is a major pest of Jute (Corchorus spp ) in this area. The larvae feed on buds and
leaves of jute and cause severe damage.
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©
CB/ Mo / I 201CB/ Mo / I 206

10. Burnished Brass Moth, Trichoplusia orichalcea Fabricius, 1775
Bengali name : Sonali moth
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Noctuidae
Subfamily : Plusiinae, Tribe : Argyrogrammatini
CB/ Mo / I 209
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The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including
crops such as sunflower , potato, soybean etc. The moth
flies from August to October in this area.

11. Olive Green Cutworm Moth, Dargida procincta (Grote.1873)
Bengali name : Ghaser badami moth
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family Noctuidae
Sub Family Noctuinae
Its caterpillars are reported
to be minor pest of grasses
specially Phalaris arundinacea.
CB/ Mo / I 205
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12. Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner 1808)
Bengali Name : Nil suyo
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Noctuidae
Sub Family : Amphipyrinae
It is sometime minor pest of Jute (Corchorus spp. ) in this
area. The larvae feed on leaves of cotton, lentil, cabbage,
clove etc .
CB/ Mo / I 218

13. Army Worm, Mythimna sinuosa (Moore, 1882)
Bengali Name : Fouji moth
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family : Noctuidae
Subfamily : Hadeninae, Tribe : Leucanini
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CB/ Mo/ I 221
Occasional but when attack, its caterpillars are caused severe
damage on paddy field. Although It is still minor pest in this area.

14. Green Looper , Chrysodeixis eriosoma (Doubleday,1843)
Bengali Name : Sabuj ghora poka
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family : Noctuidae
Sub Family : Plusiinae
Green looper caterpillars are common
pest of crops in the Solanaceae,
Leguminosae, Cruciferae, and Malvaceae.
Status is minor and no such control
measure is recommanded.
©
CB/ Mo / I 206

15. Pink Stem Borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker)
Bengali Name : Gamer majra
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Sub Family: Arctiinae
There are seven stem borers that cause economic loss in wheat,
sorghum. Among them the pink borer, Sesamia inferens are
agriculturally most important in India. The stem borer attack
usually starts on 1-month old crops and lasts until harvest.
CB/ Mo / I 200

16. Creatonotos gangis (Linn. 1763)
Bengali Name : Sabujdari
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Sub Family: Arctiinae
Its caterpillars are sporadic pest in sweet potato growing
region in India. It also feed on rice, maize, grasses, coffee,
groundnut, Johnson grass.
CB/ Mo / I 202

17. Yellow Hairy Caterpillar of Paddy, Psalis pennatula Fab. 1793
Bengali Name : Dhaner suyopoka
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family : Erebidae
Subfamily Arctiinae
The caterpillar is known to be minor pest on many agriculturally important crops
such as Oryza sativa , Sorghum bicolor, Saccharum sp., Imperata cylindrica etc.
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UBKV/CB/Mo 15a

18. Bihar Hairy Caterpillar, Spilarctia obliqua (Walker 1855)
Bengali name : Pater suyopoka
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Sub Family: Arctiinae
Host Plant : Larva are leaf feeder, Major pest of jute here. It also damage sweet potato,
potato, cowpea, bean, radish, garden pea etc.
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UBKV/CB/Mo-15

19. Salt and Pepper Moth, Utetheisa lotrix (Cramer, 1779)
Bengali Name : Labanga chit moth
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Sub Family: Arctiinae
Occasional minor pest in India. Its
caterpillar feed on Crotalaria species and
also other leguminosae, compositae
plants.
CB/ Mo / I 201

20. Wasp Moth, Amata bicincta (Kollar, 1844)
Bengali Name : Bolta moth
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Erebidae
Sub Family : Arctinae, Tribe : Syntomini
UBKV/CB/ Mo /48
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Larval Host Plants: Ipomoea batatas, Lantana spp., Santalum spp.

21. Wasp moth, Amata cyssea (Stoll 1782)
Bengali Name : Bolta moth
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Erebidae
Sub Family : Arctinae, Tribe : Syntomini
Larval Host Plants:: Avena sativa (Poaceae), Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae),Lantana
camara (Verbenaceae), Santalum album (Santalaceae)
CB/ Mo / I 48

22. Clearwing wasp moth, Syntomoides imaon
Bengali Name : Bolta moth
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Erebidae
Sub Family : Arctinae, Tribe : Syntomini
Larval Host Plants:: Avena sativa (Poaceae), Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae),Lantana
camara (Verbenaceae), Santalum album (Santalaceae)
CB/ Mo / I 48a
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© Female
© Male

23. Castor hairy caterpillar: Pericallia ricini Fabricius
Bengali Name : Rerir lal moth
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family : Erebidae
Sub : Family : Arctiinae
It is reported to be a Pest of castor, banana in India. Its
caterpillar scraping the chlorophyll content and windowing
in unfurled leaves of Pumpkin, Moringa, Beans, cotton
also.
CB/ Mo / I 204

24. Somena moth, Somena pulverea (Leech,1889)
Bengali Name : Somena moth
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : EREBIDAE
Sub Family Lymantriinae
Its larva are leaf feeder of sun hemp, capsicum, pea etc
CB/ Mo 41

25. Fruit Pierching Moth, Eudocima fallonia (Clerck)
Bengali Name : Faler chosi moth
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family Erebidae
Subfamily : Calpinae, Tribe : Ophiderini
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Always minor pest of ripen fruits of citrus, guava, etc
CB/ Mo/ I 219
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26. Owlet Moth, Eudocima salaminia (Cramer, 1777)
Bengali Name : Tanbu chosi moth
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family Erebidae
Subfamily : Calpinae, Tribe : Ophiderini
Adult of these noctuoid genera damage fruit crops by
piercing the skins of fruits to suck juice.
©
CB/BLK II/Mo-101

27. Okra shoot & fruit borer, Earias vittella (Fabricius,1794)
Bengali name : Bhindir fal chidrakari poka
Super Family : Noctuoidea
Family : Nolidae
Sub Family : Eariadinae
Its larva are reported to be major pest of okra in this area.
UBKV/ CB/ Mo 57
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