Biology and habits of Gonodonta pyrgo Cramer in Annona muricata.
Pinzón-García J. M., Hernández-Fuentes L. M., Luna-Esquivel G., Isiordia-Aquino N., Ortiz-Catón M.
Author Affiliation: Posgrado en Ciencias Biológico Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit, Xalisco, Nayarit 63780, Mexico.
Southwestern Entomologist 41 : 251-258
Abstract : Annona muricata L. (soursop) is the most important fruit crop of annonaceous in Mexico and in Nayarit State where most is produced. Many insect pests damage the fruit, including Gonodonta pyrgo (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). The pest causes 100% loss of other tropical crops. Because of the recent detection of G. pyrgo in Nayarit and the limited information on the biology and habits, the objectives of this research were to determine the life cycle and the diurnal behavior of larvae and adults under laboratory conditions. G. pyrgo from egg to adult lived 26.0±2.11 days. The larval stage lasted 12.0±0.29 days and caused the most damage by feeding on A. muricata leaves. The adult lived 4.0±0.31 days, piercing mango and soursop fruits while feeding on the nectar, thus affecting the quality of the fruit. This insect is characterized by high capacity to discover new habitats and colonize that cause difficulty in their control and limiting infested areas. Eggs are laid in groups of 700 to 1,500 on the underside of young leaves. By the fifth or sixth day after emergence, the larvae feed on foliage, flowers, and young fruit, and feed on mature foliage before that. Subsequently, they move to the base of a tree to pupate into soil and trash. In laboratory conditions, adults damage fruit of mango and soursop.