Eublemma scitula

Eublemma scitula, the grey eublemma, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jules Pierre Rambur in 1833.^[1][2][3] It is widespread in Africa and Asia and also occurs in southern Europe.^[3]

Eublemma scitula
Figure 9
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Genus:	Eublemma
Species:	E. scitula
Binomial name
Eublemma scitula (Rambur, 1833)
Synonyms
Erastria scitula Rambur, 1833 Thalpochares scitula (Rambur, 1833) Coccidiphaga scitula (Rambur, 1833) Nola exasperata Lederer, 1855 Agrophila gibbosa Snellen, 1872 Erastria futilis Swinhoe, 1884 Eulocastria cretacea Hampson, 1893

Distribution

Algeria, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,^[4] New Guinea, Australia and France.

Biology

The caterpillar is bright pink to reddish. Its prolegs are modified to a pair of large suckers for adhering to the substrate. Body is covered with a light silken web, which serves as a shield. Pupation occurs within this shield.^[5]

Caterpillars of the genus Eublemma are pests on several scale insects. The E. scitula caterpillar is a pest on Kerria, Anomalococcus, Lecanium, Ceroplastes, Pulvinaria species, Drepanococcus cajani, Saissetia coffeae, Saissetia oleae, Ceraplastes rusci, Didesmococcus unifasciatus, Cerococcus indicus and Coccidohystrix insolita.^[5][6]