Copamyntis alectryonura Meyrick, 1932

Copamyntis alectryonura Meyrick View in CoL ( Pyralidae )

This species was identified by comparing external morphological characters of the adults ( Figs. 1a, b View Figure 1 ) with those presented by Beccaloni et al. (2005) and Shivakumara et al. (2023). Some publications refer to this species as “ Copamyntis obliquifasciella ” ( Mathew 2006) . The characteristic features of this pest, based on morphological

Adult characteristics ( Figs. 1a, b View Figure 1 ): Head brown with fine scales, vertex with a raised tuft of pale brown scales; prominent compound eyes; conspicuous; antennae filiform, long, covered with greyish black scales; proboscis scaled at the base and prominent. Thorax stout, dorsally covered with flattened smooth, deep grey scales interspersed with light brown scales, ventrally with fine pale brown scales, patagia prominently conspicuous with dark. greyscales basally and light brown scales distally, forewings subtriangular, wingspan 8–10 mm, with the fuscous greyish black ground colour (but varieties in intensity), an antemedian line extending from costal margin to hind margin as a whitish band, a slightly curved dark grey ridge, deep grey fringes along the apical margin, hind wings plain, hyaline, with dark grey veins, dark grey fringes along entire wing margin.

Larva polypodous, light greenish with slightly dark green shade dorsally, with a prominent black mid-dorsal line traversing from anterior till posterior, not reaching terminal abdominal segment ( Fig. 1d View Figure 1 ). Late instar larvae are approximately 19.5–21.5 mm long.

Pupa brownish, with cremaster of six short anal setae. Pupation often occurs within leaf folds in a thin silken coocon, 10.0– 10.5 mm long ( Fig. 1e View Figure 1 ).

Damage symptoms: Larvae of C. alectryonura only eat the leaf surface ( Fig. 1d View Figure 1 ) as skeletonizers. The larvae weave the leaves together to form a nest where they hide inside. The larvae move to a new feeding site at night. Larvae pull the host materials into the case and consume it while remaining largely hidden from view. When larval density is high, larvae consume all the tree's foliage and then move to adjacent trees. Heavily infested trees show foliage that appears to have dried out. This pest was recorded in all of the four locations studied. Damaged C. fistula trees have ragged foliage and are unsightly.