First Recorded Feeding of Syngamia florella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) on Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) in Brazil

Abstract

Spilomelinae comprises more than 5,200 described species worldwide. Several species are known for their economic impact on crops, occurring in high populations in host plants, with different degrees of host specificity. The objective was to record caterpillars of Syngamia florella (Stoll in Cramer & Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae) feeding on leaves of Ipomea batatas (L.) Lam. (Convolvulaceae). Plants damaged by S. florella were observed in the field in the municipality of Diamantina, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is the first record of S. florella feeding and completing its cycle on I. batatas. Registering a new host for S. florella is important to understand this insect's survival, dispersal, establishment, and damage in areas where I. batatas is cultivated.