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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #373451
Research Project: Systematics of Moths Significant to Biodiversity, Quarantine, and Control, with a Focus on Invasive Species

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: First records of Lepidoptera damaging Macadamia integrifolia (Proteaceae) fruits in Guatemala

Author
item LOPEZ-GUILLEN, GUILLERMO - Instituto Nacional De Investigaciones Forestales Y Agropecuarias (INIFAP)
item GOMEZ RUIZ, JAIME - University Of Mexico
item BROWN, J.W. - Retired ARS Employee
item CRUZ-LOPEZ, LEOPOIDO - University Of Mexico
item Metz, Mark
item Solis, M Alma

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/22/2021
Publication Date: 4/28/2021
Citation: Lopez-Guillen, G., Gomez Ruiz, J., Brown, J., Cruz-Lopez, L., Metz, M., Solis, M.A. 2021. First records of Lepidoptera damaging Macadamia integrifolia (Proteaceae) fruits in Guatemala. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 123(2):341-349. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.2.341.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797.123.2.341

Interpretive Summary: Macadamia nuts are cultivated in 68 countries worldwide and the United States is the fifth highest producer. Macadamia was introduced into Guatemala in 1971 and currently amounts to an annual production of nearly 4,150 tons making it one of the most important crops in the country. This study reports for the first time identities of moths damaging macadamia fruits in Guatemala, and some key features used for their identification. This study also documents the type and amount of damage to the macadamia fruits and data about locality, date, and elevation for the farms where the damage was observed. This information will be beneficial to stakeholders in defense of invasive species to the United States and U.S. growers of macadamia nuts and similar crops that could be susceptible to internal fruit, nut, or pod feeding moths from Central and South America.

Technical Abstract: Samples of damaged macadamia fruit (n = 1,614) collected at five farms in Guatemala during 2017 were infested with larvae that resulted in 220 adult moths: 57.27% Gymnandrosoma aurantianum (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), 41.36% Catarata sp. (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae), and 1.36% Deoclona sp. (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae). These are the first records of these species from macadamia fruit in Guatemala. Percentages of macadamia fruits damaged by lepidopteran borers at the three farms with the highest rates of infestation were 13.73, 12.64, and 15.71%.