First Report of Infestation of the Agar Defoliator Heortia vitessoides (Moore) on the Agar Wood Tree Aquilaria malaccensis Benth. in South India Prathapan K D1,*, Santhoshkumar T1 1Entomology, Vellayani P. O., Thiruvananthapuram695522, Kerala, India *Email: prathapankd@gmail.com (corresponding author): ORCID ID 0000-0001-8493-1555
Online Published on 18 October, 2023. Abstract Massive infestation of the agar defoliator Heortia vitessoides (Moore) (Lepidoptera, Pyraloidea, Crambidae) was observed in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts in Kerala on agar wood tree Aquilaria malaccensis Benth. (Thymelaeaceae), during February – December, 2022. Of the 119 trees observed in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts, 115 were infested and six of them died due to the pest attack. Top Keywords Aquilaria malaccensis, Heortia vitessoides, Thymelaeaceae, Crambidae, Pest, South India, Kerala, Damage, Death of tree, Defoliator, Agar wood. Top |