General information

Scientific name: Penicillaria jocosatrix
Lepidoptera: Noctuidae

Hosts

Mango, cashew

Distribution

Southeast Asia and Australia

Damage

Larvae feed on the growth flushes at the nursery stock, young trees, and top-worked trees. Occasionally, the fruit stalks and young fruits are damaged. The sudden death of a part of a branch, cracked-branch, and falling off of a branch are indications of the attack.

Description

The eggs are lemon-colored and are laid singly on both leaf surfaces on new growths. They hatch in 3 - 5 days.

The larva is light to pale-green with purple dots that sometimes has the same color as that of the young tender leaves. The larval development takes about 8 - 10 days.

Pupae are dark-brown with no distinguishing lumps or lobes. It is found among the soil debris or near the soil surface. Pupation takes about 16 - 20 days.

Adult moths are russet-brown with light-brown markings across the forewings and have a wingspan of 25 mm. The forewings are dull-purple with several darker stripes, including a dark-gray purple spot near the apical end while the hindwings are white with a broad smoky-brown or purple-gray margin.