Amata passalis, the sandalwood defoliator, is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1781. It is found in Sri Lanka and India.[1]
| Amata passalis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Erebidae |
| Subfamily: | Arctiinae |
| Genus: | Amata |
| Species: | A. passalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Amata passalis (Fabricius, 1781)
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| Synonyms | |
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Biology
editThe average life cycle of the species in captivity is 62 days. After mating, the adult female lays about 305 eggs in a lifespan of 3.87 days. It is known to breed all year around and passes through 6-11 generations a year. There are eight larval instars. First and last instar larvae are about 1.97 mm and 29.29 mm in length, respectively. Adults usually emerge within 1 to 2 hours of sunrise. After a day, they are ready for mating.[2]
It is known mainly as a defoliator of sandalwood (Santalum album) in India. It is also recorded on various alternate food plants, mainly cowpeas, various other pulses, and ornamental plants.[3][4] The larval stage of Apanteles nepitae can be used as a parasite to control the moth.[5]
Host plants
editGallery
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eggs -
female with eggs -
mating pair -
adult in Sri Lanka -
adult in India
_spotted_at_Vizag.jpg)
References
edit- ^ Savela, Markku (April 3, 2019). "Amata passalis (Fabricius, 1781)". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ^ "The life-history and behaviour of Amata passalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), a defoliator of sandalwood, Santalum album L." www.cabi.org. 1992. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ Venkatesha, M.G. (1993). "Biology of the sandalwood defoliator, Amata passalis (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) on alternate host plants". Annals of Entomology. pp. 73–77.
- ^ "Data: Natural History Museum". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ "Amata passalis". www.cabi.org. Retrieved 2021-08-22.