233. Crocidosema lantana Busck, 1910

Crocidosema lantana Busck, 1910; Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 10: 132.

= Epinotia corynetes Diakonoff, 1982; Zool. Verh. Leiden 193: 59.

TL: Oahu, Tantalus [Hawaiian Islands] ( lantana); Sri Lanka, Ratnapura District, Uggalkaltota ( corynetes).

Distribution: India (Uttarakhand). Described from Hawaii based on specimens introduced from Mexico for the biological control of weedy Lantana, Crocidosema lantana subsequently was introduced to Australia. Based on DNA barcodes, it is now present in Australia, Caroline Islands, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan (Zhang & Li 2005; Koçak & Kemal 2012); it is also recorded from southern U.S.A.

Hosts: Larvae have been reported to feed on Lantana camara (Verbenaceae), Litchi chinensis (Sapindaceae), Tabebuia chrysantha (Bignoniaceae), and Tecoma stans (Bignoniaceae) (Busck 1910; MacKay 1959; Common 1957; Zimmerman 1978).

Illustrations: Adult and gentalia (Clarke 1976: 52; Rose & Pooni 2005: 1757).