CRAMBIDAE - Maruca vitrata (Fabricius)
Taxonomy
Pyraloidea: Crambidae: Spilomelinae: Maruca vitrata (Fabricius)
Common names: bean pod borer, soybean pod borer, legume pod borer, mung moth
Synonyms: Maruca (Crochiphora) testulalis, Botys bifenestralis, Hydrocampe aquitilis, Siriocauta simialalis
Larval diagnosis (Summary)
- Pair of pinacula without setae present on T2-3 posterior to the D pinacula
- L group unisetose on A9
- Mandible with two inner teeth and an outer tooth
- Prespiracular pinaculum on T1 crescent shaped and extending below the spiracle
- SD1 pinacula of A2 and A7 not reduced
- No extra pinacula without setae on the abdomen
Host/origin information
More than half of the interceptions of M. vitrata at U.S. ports of entry originate from Hawaii on Canavalia. Other common origins are listed below:
| Origin |
Host(s) |
| Hawaii | Canavalia, Sesbania |
| Bangladesh | various |
| Dominican Republic | various |
| India | various |
Recorded distribution
Maruca vitrata is a cosmopolitan pest that occurs in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is
absent from North Africa and the temperate regions of Europe and North America (Taylor 1978).
Identification authority (Summary)
Origins are generally not helpful because M. vitrata is a cosmopolitan pest. Non-legumes hosts are doubtful, but M. vitrata can be expected in the
flowers or pods of any cultivated legume. Larvae are most likely confused with those of tortricid pests that also feed in legume pods.
Unlike pyraloids, legume feeding pest tortricid larvae have a trisetose prespiracular group, among other differences.
Pest characterization
(Based on Cavey 2001, Taylor 1978)
- Taxonomy: High. Identification to species is normal in late instars.
- Distribution: High. Maruca vitrata is not established in the U.S. but captures in several southern states have occurred.
- Potential Impact: High. Maruca vitrata is a serious pest.
This ranking characterizes M. vitrata as a quarantine significant species for the U.S.
Note that this ranking assumes M. vitrata is not established in the Gulf States or California. Captures have occurred in
Texas (Williamson 1943), Florida (Dickel 1981), and Louisiana (Brou 1993). Klima (1939) reported M. vitrata from California.
The introduction of M. vitrata into Hawaii (Zimmerman 1958) shows that this species has the ability to colonize new habitats.
CRAMBIDAE - Maruca vitrata (Fabricius)
Larval diagnosis (Detailed)
Usua (1977) described the larva of M. vitrata, the bean pod borer, in detail. Important taxonomic characters were illustrated by
Matuura (1952), Passoa (1985), Weisman (1986), Lin (1995), Sri et al. (2010), Solis (1999, 2011), and Schnitzler et al. (2011). Larval photographs of M. vitrata
can be found in Ferguson and BATS [1983], King and Saunders (1984), Passoa (1985), Schmutterer et al. (1990), and Passoa and Bean (2001).
Typically, in Latin America, the larva of M. vitrata is easily recognized by having one L seta on A9 and a pair of pinacula without
setae present on the mesothorax and metathorax posterior to the D pinacula (Passoa 1985). Other New World legume pod feeding pyralids
(Etiella, Fundella) have three L setae on A9. Solis (1999) mentioned two L setae on A9 in Etiella, but this is likely atypical.
Carter and Kristensen (1998) warned that setal aberrations are common in lepidopteran larvae. Neunzig (1987) and Passoa (1985) both
found that three L setae on A9 is a more common condition for Etiella.
Other significant characters of M. vitrata include: mandible with two inner teeth and an outer tooth (Passoa 1985); a front not
reaching the epicranial notch; the SD1 pinacula of A2 and A7 not reduced (Lin 1995); no small pinacula anterior to the D pinacula on the
mesothorax and metathorax, and no extra pinacula without setae on the abdomen (Weisman 1986); and the prespiracular pinaculum on T1 crescent
shaped and extending below the spiracle (Weisman 1986).
Identification authority (Detailed)
Except for being absent from North Africa and the temperate regions of Europe and North America (Ferguson and BASS [1983]), origins
are not helpful because M. vitrata is a cosmopolitan pest. Non-legumes hosts are doubtful, but M. vitrata can be expected in the flowers
or pods of any cultivated legume (Ferguson and BASS [1983], Passoa and Bean 2001). More caution is required on weedy or ornamental
species. Some legume feeding crambids have pigmented pinacula that present a similar appearance to M. vitrata as preserved larvae,
for example, Terastia and Agathodes on Erythrina (SPIC). But M. vitrata is most likely to be confused with tortricid pests that also
feed in legume pods (see list in Singh et al. 1978). These species often have a similar body color, feeding habit and pinacula
pigmentation to M. vitrata. Unlike pyraloids, legume feeding pest tortricid larvae have a trisetose prespiracular group, among
other differences.
The larvae of Maruca ambonialis is undescribed; early records associating it with legumes need confirmation (Taylor 1978).
It occurs in southeastern Asia (Robinson et al. 1994).
CRAMBIDAE - Maruca vitrata (Fabricius)
Origin records
Maruca vitrata has been intercepted from the following locations:
Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana,
Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Laos, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria,
Palestinian Territory, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago,
Turkey, Viet Nam
Host records
Maruca vitrata has been intercepted on the following hosts:
Abelmoschus esculentus, Aeschynomene fluitans, Annona sp., Asparagus officinalis, Cajanus cajan,
Canavalia cathartica, Canavalia sp., Capsicum annuum, Coccinea grandis, Coccinia grandis, Cucurbita sp., Cynara sp.,
Dillenia indica, Erythrina sp., Fabaceae, Gardenia sp., Glycine max, Lablab purpureus, Lablab sp.,
Lagenaria siceraria, Lathyrus sp., Leguminosae sp., Limonium sinuatum, Luffa sp., Magnoliophyta sp.,
Momordica charantia, Mucuna sp., Murraya sp., Nelumbo nucifera, Nephelium lappaceum, Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum sp.,
Parkia speciosa, Petiveria alliacea, Phaseolus lunatus, Phaseolus sp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Pisum sativum, Pisum sp.,
Pithecellobium sp., Psidium guajava, Psidium sp., Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, Punica granatum, Sebastiania sp.,
Sechium edule, Sesbania grandiflora, Sesbania sp., Solanum aethiopicum, Solanum melongena, Solanum sp.,
Solanum torvum, Strongylodon lucidus, Strongylodon macrobotrys, Strongylodon sp., Tagetes erecta, Thymelaea hirsuta,
Vicia faba, Vicia sp., Vigna sesquipedalis, Vigna sp., Vigna unguiculata, Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis, Zea mays
CRAMBIDAE - Maruca vitrata (Fabricius)
Setal map
Maruca vitrata setal map
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 Fig. 1: Late instar, lateral view
Fig. 1: Late instar, lateral view |
 Fig. 2: Late instar, lateral view
Fig. 2: Late instar, lateral view |
 Fig. 3: Late instar, lateral view
Fig. 3: Late instar, lateral view |
 Fig. 4: Late instar, dorsal view
Fig. 4: Late instar, dorsal view |
 Fig. 5: Pair of pinacula without setae present on T2-3 posterior to the D pinacula
Fig. 5: Pinacula without setae on T2-3 |
 Fig. 6: L group unisetose on A9
Fig. 6: A9 L unisetose |
Fig. 7: Crochets |
Fig. 8: Head |
 Fig. 9: Hypopharyngeal complex, lateral view
Fig. 9: Hypo. complex |
Fig. 10: Mandible |
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