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Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects - EcoPort

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10 <strong>Biological</strong> <strong>Control</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Insect</strong> <strong>Pests</strong>: <strong>Southeast</strong> <strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Prospects</strong><br />

Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus)<br />

Rating<br />

Origin<br />

Distribution<br />

Biology<br />

Lepidoptera: Sphingidae<br />

sweet potato hawk moth, sweet potato hornworm<br />

Synonym: Herse convolvuli<br />

<strong>Southeast</strong> Asia China Southern and Western Pacific<br />

++ Viet, Indo ++ + N Cal, PNG<br />

7 + Thai, Camb<br />

Msia<br />

2<br />

P Myan, Brun P Widespread<br />

Very widespread in tropical and subtropical areas <strong>of</strong> the world, except for<br />

the Americas.<br />

Southern Europe: Azores, Crete, Malta, Sicily, Yugoslavia. Africa:<br />

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde Is, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia,<br />

Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Madeira, Mali, Mauritius,<br />

Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, St Helena, Senegal,<br />

Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland,<br />

Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Upper Volta, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Asia:<br />

Andaman Is, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Christmas Is, Cyprus,<br />

India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,<br />

Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand,<br />

Turkey, Vietnam. Australasia and Pacific Islands:<br />

Australia, Cook Is, Fiji,<br />

Hawaii, Kiribati, Mariana Is, Marquesas Is, New Caledonia, New Zealand,<br />

Niue, Norfolk Is, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga, Tuvalu,<br />

Vanuatu (CIE Map No 451, 1983).<br />

The smooth eggs are laid singly on stems and leaves and, in common with<br />

most other Lepidoptera, A. convolvuli larvae have 5 instars. There is a green,<br />

a black and a brown form <strong>of</strong> larvae, which have, at the posterior end, a<br />

uniformly curved, tapering, smooth dorsal horn. Fully grown larvae attain a<br />

length <strong>of</strong> 9 cm. Pupation occurs in earthern cells several centimetres below<br />

the soil surface. The pupa has a very characteristic proboscis, which is<br />

enclosed in a looped tube not fused to the body (Kalshoven 1981; Common

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