Occurrence of Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on Solanum aethiopicum in Northeast India, with Notes on Trophic Relationships in Leucinodes Guenée

Abstract

Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée, 1854 is a major internal feeder of solanaceous crops in the Indo-Malayan region and an economically important quarantine pest. During field surveys conducted in September 2025 in Arunachal Pradesh, India, fruit-boring larvae were observed on Solanum aethiopicum Linnaeus. Infested fruits were collected, insects were reared, and species identity was confirmed based on male genitalia characters. We provide a taxonomically validated host record of L. orbonalis on S. aethiopicum from northeastern India. Diagnostic features of the adults and male genitalia are illustrated and discussed. In addition, host plant associations reported for species of the genus Leucinodes are compiled from published literature and databases to generate a bipartite network depicting the trophic spectrum of the genus.