Phidotricha erigens Ragonot, 1888

Hemimatia atramentalis Lederer, 1863

Pococera atramentalis Hampson, 1896

Ragonot (1888) described Phidotricha erigens based in his own specimens of in the MNHP.

Description. Egg. Yellow with black spots in newly laid eggs and pale-yellow before they hatch. Larva. Five instars; first to third instar reddish-orange with a long yellowish-white line dorsally; fourth instar reddish-brown with the same yellowish-white line; the fifth instar is dark-brown with yellowish-orange line. Length 3.8–4.2 mm (Fig. 1F). Pre-pupa. Yellowish-orange with a yellowish-white line dorsally. Length as in the last instar, but wider on thoracic segments. Pupa. Elongated dark-brown and similar in size to last larval instar. Adult. Sexually dimorphic, female larger and darker than male. Wing expanse: males 7.9–10.4 mm, females 9.2–14.4 mm. Wings. Dorsal surface: Forewings pale-gray with black fine scattered scales; postdiscal purplish-brown band; purplish-brown band throughout basal and postbasal area; distinctive transverse lines (first one white, almost straight; second one purplish-gray with a strong angle) on discal and postdiscal area; outer margin gray with a wide broken line between veins; discal black spot; fringe gray. Hindwings pale-gray; dark-gray on outer margin; fringe pale-gray. Ventral surface: Forewings dark brownish-gray. Hindwings pale brownish-gray with outer margin darkgray. Head. Antennae: Male plumose and female filiform, size ¾ body length. Vertex: Mottled gray and dark-gray. Mouthparts. Large palps with mottled gray and dark-gray color. Body. Thorax and abdomen: Gray above and pale-gray below. Legs: Mottled gray and dark-gray (Fig. 2F).

Distribution. Phidotricha erigens is native to the Neotropical Region and has been recorded in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (Ragonot 1888; Kaye and Lamont 1927; Palmer and Pullen 1995; Roque-Álbelo and Landry 2012, Diniz et al. 2009; Velázquez, et al. 2010; Miller et al. 2012). It was also reported as an invasive species in Florida (Solis 1999).

Hosts. Agave cocui Trel (Agavaceae); Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae); Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Ktze. (Araucariaceae); Mauritia flexuosa L. (Arecaceae); Protium ovatum Engl. (Burseraceae); Mammea americana L. (Calophyllaceae); Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae); Salacia crassifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) G.Don. (Celastraceae); Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn., Cucumis melo L. (Cucurbitaceae); Erythroxylum deciduum A.St. -Hil. (Erythroxylaceae); Albizia saman (Jacq.) F.Muell., Dimorphandra mollis Benth., Mimosa asperata L., M. claussenii Benth, M. pigra L., Phaseolus lunatus L., Pterodon pubescens Benth, Tamarindus indica L., Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabaceae); Clerodendrum squamatum Vahl. (Lamiaceae); Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae), Averrhoa bilimbi L. (Oxalidaceae); Passiflora edulis Sims (Passifloraceae); Petiveria alliacea L. (Phytolaccaceae); Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Zea mays L. (Poaceae); Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. (Rosaceae); Coffea arabica L., Palicourea rigida Kunth (Rubiaceae); Citrus spp. (L.) (Rutaceae); Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae); Qualea grandiflora Mart., Q. parviflora Mart., Vochysia thyrsoidea Pohl (Vochysiaceae) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) (Achten 1995; Palmer and Pullen 1995; Solis 1993, 1999; Diniz and Morais 2002; Matienzo et al. 2003; Nava et al. 2006; Rodovalho et al. 2007; Castilho et al. 2010; Ramos et al. 2010; Carregaro et al. 2009; Diniz et al. 2009; Ferreira et al. 2009; Velázquez, et al. 2010; Bolzan et al. 2012; Cock and Burris 2013; Paiva and Yamamoto 2014). We also found P. erigens feeding on Manilkara zapota (L.) van Royen, which is a new host record for this species.

Natural history. The adults can be observed during the rainy season (late May to late October in southern Florida) and during this time the population explodes. They can also be observed in early spring. They exhibit nocturnal habits but sometimes appear at twilight.

The females lay eggs inside the flower. When the larva hatches, it feeds on petals, sepals and the pistil. When it finishes, it begins to make silk tunnels towards other flowers to stick them together. The larval stage lasts 18–23 days. Pupation occurs inside the flower mainly in the unconsumed sepals. The pupal stage lasts 12–14 days.

Damage. Phidotricha erigens is a well-known polyphagous species. It recently became a problem to sapodilla growers, mainly because of the larvae feeding in the flowers, which results in flower desicca- tion and death. When the population was large, we observed up to 6– 12 larvae in a single inflorescence.

Management. We found two parasitoids associated with P. erigens: a braconid wasp (Bracon sp.) and a bethylid wasp (Goniozus floridanus (Ashmead)) feeding on larvae. In Venezuela, other parasitoids (e.g. Apanteles sp., Copidosoma sp., Eiphosoma sp., Hymenochaonia sp. and Euplectrus sp.) were observed parasitizing P. erigens (Velázquez et al. 2010). We also observed a spider (Araneidae: Eriophora ravilla (Koch)) feeding on adults. The use of insecticides has not been thoroughly investigated.