Abstract

Lepidoptera is one of the largest groups of organisms, known commonly as butterflies or moths, which in their larval state, are considered the most harmful agricultural plagues. Lepidoptera larvae were collected from a fig crop, transferred under controlled environmental conditions, and fed an artificial diet. An identification of the larvae collected was performed, as well as the determination of their life cycle. Additionally, the fertility and egg hatching rate were determined from the eggs laid by the adults placed in couples. The lepidopteran species was identified as Estigmene albida, an insect from the Noctuidae superfamily, Erebidae family, and with very few information reported in the literature to date. The life cycle consisted of 57 days, developing 5 larval stages, with similar characteristics to those reported for E. acrea, a species from the same genus with more known importance as a crop plague. On average, the females that mated and laid viable eggs, placed 377.4 eggs, from which 222.4 per female developed larvae. These results were less than those reported for E. acrea; however, these variables could have been affected by the diet, the temperature and the species worked with. Also, it was possible to collect larvae from E. albida parasited with the tachinidae Carcelia sp. In conclusion, this study provides one of the first reports of E. albida affecting crops and provides information of their life cycle and fertility. It is also the first report of this insect affecting specifically a fig crop and of Carcelia sp. parasiting larvae of this lepidoptera.

Keywords Estigmene albida; fig; life cycle; fertility; Carcelia sp