First record of the cacao plume moth Michaelophorus nubilus (Felder & Rogenhofer) (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) in Mexico

Abstract

We report field infestation under natural conditions by the cacao plum moth, Michaelophorus nubilus (Felder & Rogenhofer) on leaves of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.; Malvaceae) for the first time in Southern Chiapas, Mexico. The larvae of M. nubilus damages new “flushing” or light green leaves from buds, from either the main or lateral branches of cacao plants.

Keywords:
Theobroma cacao; Flushing

The pantropical family Pterophoridae (Insecta: Lepidoptera) includes around 1,136 described species contained within five subfamilies: Agdistinae, Ochyroticinae, Deuterocopinae, Macropiratinae, and Pterophorinae. The latter is the largest of the five subfamilies with 84 genera and 1,028 described species (Gielis, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2011; Gielis and Karsholt, 2009). Pterophorinae is characterized by the presence of a deep cleft on the outer margin of the forewing, the resting posture of adults resembles a “T”, and they have venous scales on the underside of the hindwing. This subfamily is also divided into five tribes, among them Platyptiliini contains the genus Michaelophorus Gielis, 1999 that includes the Neotropical species M. bahiaensis Gielis, 2006, M. dentiger (Meyrick, 1916), M. hodgesi Gielis, 1999, M. indentatus (Meyrick, 1930), M. margaritae Gielis, 2006, M. nubilus (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) and M. shafferi Gielis, 1999, all with nocturnal habits (Gielis, 1993, 2003, 2006).

In Mexico, cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.; Malvaceae) is cultivated in the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero. Chiapas is the second producer in the country, with 16,708 ha planted with the crop and concentrating 26% of the national production (SIAP, 2019). Among the most important phytosanitary problems of the region, there is a couple of diseases caused by fungi, such as Moniliophthora roreri (Cif.) H.C. Evans, Stalpers, Samson & Benny (Agaricales: Marasmiaceae) and Phytophthora palmivora Butler (Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae) (Phillips-Mora et al., 2006; Díaz-José et al., 2013). However, several other pests, many of them insects, affect the crops but had been poorly studied (López et al., 2003). Toxoptera aurantii (Boy.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Xyleborus ferrugineus Fabricius, Xylosandrus morigerus Blandford, Hypothenemus birmanus Eichhoff, Corthylus minutissimus Schedl, Taurodermus sharpi Lenis, Hypothenemus interstitialis Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Selenothrips rubrocinctus Giard (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Clastoptera laenata Fowler (Hemiptera: Clastopteridae) are among the phytophagous insects reported from Chiapas (Hernández-Gómez et al., 2015).

In the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico, records of insect pests and their damage to cocoa crops are practically nil. Therefore, it is essential to identify

and determine the damages caused in cocoa plantations, as well as the different life stages of any insect pest that will facilitate the development of integrated management strategies to reduce such pest populations. We are thus reporting for the first time the cocoa plume moth M. nubilus damaging new leaves of T. cacao in Mexico.

Several plantations of T. cacao were surveyed in the Soconusco region, Chiapas, Mexico, during May 2018. After a careful visual inspection of new leaves and branches samples of leaves infested with larvae or pupae M. nubilus were manually collected. The visited and surveyed places are listed in Table 1.

Table 1
Visited and surveyed sites with Theobroma cacao L. plantations, in the Soconusco region, Chiapas, Mexico.

Locality	Municipality	Geographical coordinates		Altitude (m)
		N	W
Los Cacao	Acacoyahua	15° 23’ 17”	92° 39’ 12”	457
La Bendición	Acapetahua	15° 10’ 52”	92° 41’ 41”	6
Mixcum	Cacahoatán	15° 1’ 24”	92° 8’ 13”	630
Cd. Hidalgo	Suchiate	14° 40’ 49”	92° 10’ 15”	22
3 de May	Escuintla	15° 21’ 3”	92° 30’ 13”	502
Texcaltic	Frontera Hidalgo	14° 47’ 58”	92° 11’ 14”	79
Plan de Ayala	Huehuetán	14° 58’ 39”	92° 29’ 11”	11
El Cedral	Huixtla	15° 5’ 11”	92° 31’ 53”	28
Nueva Costa Rica	Mapastepec	15° 28’ 6”	92° 48’ 37”	347
Cuatro Caminos	Mazatán	14° 51’ 25”	92° 24’ 57”	26
Los Hules	Metapa de Domínguez	14° 51’ 32”	92° 11’ 19”	142
Fracción Hermosillo	Tapachula	14° 59’ 31”	92° 11’ 39”	461
2a. Sección de Guillén	Tuxtla Chico	14° 52’ 32”	92° 9’ 7”	170
Islamapa	Tuzantán	15° 4’ 10”	92° 26’ 24”	24
Trinidad	Unión Juárez	15° 2’ 18”	92° 7’ 6”	819
Monte Flor	Villa Comaltitlán	15° 19’ 36”	92° 34’ 4”	506

Some larvae of Lepidoptera feeding on buds of cocoa plants were collected from all the previously mentioned plantations and sites. Ninety-five larvae were collected and brought to our lab at INIFAP where they were placed in groups of 10 larvae into 1-liter plastic containers covered with organdy fabric and fed daily with fresh new leaves of T. cacao until pupation. After five days, 77 adults emerged and were mounted to be later identified using the keys and descriptions provided by Gielis (2006) and Meyrick (1916). All identified specimens were collected under the scientific collector license FAUT-0194 SEMARNAT-CITES and have been placed in the Lepidoptera Collection of the Faculty of Biology at Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (Key SEMARNAT-CITES: DF-CC-276-13).

All emerged adults were identified as M. nubilus. This species is characterized by having a dark brown forewing, with a faint subterminal line on both lobes, a discal spot surrounded by pale scales and its abdomen is white (Gielis, 2006). The last instar larvae have a translucent cuticle and are mainly whitish or yellowish-green. The most relevant feature of the larvae is the length of their D2 setae on their abdominal segments. However, all D2 are long but notably shorter in A2, A4, A6, and A8 than in the adjacent segments. The pupae are anchored to leaves or branches (Fig. 1) and have a lime-green body, but their head, thorax, and appendages become dark brown before emergence (Matthews and Miller, 2010).

Figure 1
Larvae of Michaelophorus nubilus feeding on leaves of Theobroma cacao L. (A); larvae in the last instar (B); black arrow showing pupae (C); adult of Michaelophorus nubilus (D).

Damage and presence of larvae were observed throughout every month of the year in most locations with cocoa plantations that were monitored in southeast Chiapas, Mexico, regardless of the genetic group to which the plant belongs to (criollo, trinitario or forastero). The larvae of M. nubilus specifically feeds on new “flushing” or light green leaves from buds, from either the main or lateral branches (Fig. 1A). Some of the new leaves were found with up to 15 larvae feeding on them. Even though we were unable to measure foliar consumption, we noticed that in several shoots, over 50% of the leaf blade was consumed. Larvae close to pupation, were not very active when disturbed and they rested on the pedicel or the shoots’ stem (Fig. 1B).

The pupae can be dark green or brown and are located mainly on mature leaves and branches, rarely on the main vein of young leaves (Fig. 1C). Some adults (Fig. 1D) were observed in orchards with a lot of shade and little agronomic management. The cacao plume moth has been previously reported in cocoa from Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil (Lamont and Callan, 1950; Brito Silva, 1980; Gielis, 1999; Matthews and Miller, 2010). However, this is the first report of M. nubilus from Mexico attacking plants of T. cacao, its only known host so far (Gielis, 2006; Matthews and Miller, 2010).

In conclusion, M. nubilus deserves more studies in the cocoa plantations of Chiapas, Mexico, to learn more about its bioecology to propose management measures.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) [Fondo Sectorial (SADER-CONACYT)] grant number: 2017-02-291417.

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Edited by

Associate Editor: Thamara Zacca

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  16 Nov 2020
• Date of issue
  2020

History

• Received
  03 Aug 2020
• Accepted
  09 Oct 2020