Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Superfamily Noctuoidea Scientific name Mocis frugalis | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Family Erebidae Rank Species | |
Similar Mocis, Mocis undata, Anticarsia irrorata, Trigonodes hyppasia, Trigonodes | ||
The sugarcane looper (Mocis frugalis) is a species of moth of the Erebidae family. It is found in several parts of the world, including India, Sri Lanka, West African countries and other Oriental regions. Adult is a fruit-piercer and a major pest throughout the crops.
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Taxonomy
In a recent publication [1] Mocis proverai, that is found in Africa and on the Arabian peninsula is promoted to a separate species. Both species can be distinguished with microscopic research of the genitalia.
Description
Wingspan 36–50 millimetres (1.4–2.0 in). Male with the hind tibia and tarsi clothed with long thick pile. Grey-brown body. Forewing with a diffused dark mark above the centre of vein 1; an oblique postmedial line pale inwardly, red-brown outwardly; a submarginal series of black specks. Hindwing with postmedial and diffused submarginal lines. Some specimens have a black spot above inner margin of forewing before the middle.
Larva pale yellowish ochreous, with darker lines. Two subdorsal lines present and with a sublateral series of olivaceous spots. The 4th and 5th somites edged behind with black. Food plants, include Zingiberaceae species, Andropogon, Eleusine, Oryza, Panicum, Paspalum, Saccharum, Sorghum, Zea, Typhonium, Cyperus, Glycine, Medicago, and Vigna. Egg are darkish green in color, blotched with dark purple.