View source for Achaea janata

{{Short description|Species of moth}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Castor semi-looper
| image = Achaea janata.jpg
| image2 = Achaea janata (ento-csiro-au).jpg
| taxon = Achaea janata
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[Lepidoptera in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms =
*''Geometra janata'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
*''Noctua melicerta'' <small>Drury, 1770</small>
*''Noctua tigrina'' <small>Fabricius, 1781</small>
*''Noctua cyathina'' <small>Macleay, 1826</small>
*''Catocala traversii'' <small>Fereday, 1877</small>
*''Ophiusa ekeikei'' <small>Bethune-Baker, 1906</small>
*''Achaea traversii'' <small>(Fereday, 1877)</small>
*''Achaea tigrina'' <small>(Fabricius, 1775)</small>
*''Achaea melicerta'' <small>(Drury, 1773)</small>
*''Acanthodelta janata'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
*''Achaea ekeikei'' <small>Bethune-Baker, 1906</small>
*''Ophiusa melicerte'' <small>Drury</small>
|synonyms_ref=<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wise|first1=K. A. J. |author-link1=Keith Arthur John Wise|title=Two Cases of Synonymy in the Nomenclature of Lepidoptera |date=1954|url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00779962.1954.9722735|journal=New Zealand Entomologist|language=en|volume=1|issue=4|pages=31–32|doi=10.1080/00779962.1954.9722735|issn=0077-9962}}</ref>
}}
'''''Achaea janata''''', the '''castor semi-looper''' or '''croton caterpillar''', is an [[Erebidae|erebid]] [[moth]], the [[caterpillar]]s of which are termed 'semi-loopers' due to their mode of locomotion. It is found from the Indo-Australian tropics and subtropics, extending south to [[New Zealand]] and east through the Pacific archipelagoes to [[Easter Island]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/KBASE/crop/type/achaea.htm | title=Croton caterpillar | publisher=Crop Knowledge Master | accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref> It is a major pest of [[Ricinus|castor]] throughout the world.<ref name="Acanthodeltajanata">{{cite web | url=http://www.nbair.res.in/insectpests/Acanthodelta-janata.php | title=''Acanthodelta janata'' (Linnaeus) | publisher=ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources | accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref>
==Description==
Its wingspan is about 60–70&nbsp;mm. The species has a pale reddish-brown body. Forewings with prominent markings. A short sub-basal waved line and an obliquely waved antemedial and excised postmedial lines are present. Postmedial lines are often black suffused inside them. A speck is found at the end of the cell. A diffuse rufous band runs beyond the postmedial line, Hindwings black with medial white band. Three large white spots can be seen on outer margin, with whitish cilia. Ventral side grey suffused. Forewings with an oblique white postmedial band not reaching the costa. Two crenulate medial lines found on each wing.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hampson |first=G. F. |authorlink=George Hampson |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/180400#page/5/mode/1up |title=The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II |volume=Moths – Vol. II |publisher=Taylor and Francis |year=1894 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Castor-Oil-Semi-Looper-moth/Achaea/janata.html | title=Castor Oil Semi-Looper moth (''Achaea janata'') | publisher=Australian Wildlife | accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref>
Eggs are small, spherical with a greenish color. Pupa is whitish green.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/Datasheet.aspx?dsid=37570 | title=Castor semilooper (''Achaea janata'') | publisher=Plantwise Technical Factsheet | accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref>
Larva bluish grey speckled with blue black. Head black striped. Lateral and sub-lateral yellowish bands with intervening blue-grey line. A dorsal black stripe bordered by reddish-white spots between fourth and fifth somites. There is a pair of dorsal red tubercles on anal somite. Spiracles and forelegs are red. Four larval [[instar]]s are completed before pupal stage.
They feed on ''[[Excoecaria cochinchinensis]]'' ([[Euphorbiaceae]]),<ref>[http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/images/data/nature_in_singapore/online_jurnal/2010/2010nis297-303.pdf Leong, T. M., 2010. Final instar caterpillar and metamorphosis of ''Achaea janata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) in Singapore (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Erebinae). Nature in Singapore, 3: 297–30] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103015154/http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/images/data/nature_in_singapore/online_jurnal/2010/2010nis297-303.pdf |date=January 3, 2015}}</ref> castor oil plant (''[[Ricinus communis]]''), both ''[[Brassica]]'' and ''[[Ficus]]'' species and many more crops like ''[[Arachis hypogaea]]'', ''[[Citrus]]'', ''[[Corchorus]]'', ''[[Dalbergia sissoo]]'', ''[[Dodonaea viscosa]]'', ''[[Euphorbia hirta]]'', ''[[Glycine max]]'', ''[[Lagenaria siceraria]]'', ''[[Punica granatum]]'', ''[[Rosa chinensis]]'', ''[[Solanum lycopersicum]]'', ''[[Tamarindus indica]]'', ''[[Theobroma cacao]]'', ''[[Vigna mungo]]'' and ''[[Ziziphus mauritiana]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/Type/achaea.htm|author=Ronald F.L. Mau & Jayma L. Martin Kessing |title=''Achaea janata'' (Linnaeus)|publisher=Department of Entomology|place=[[Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]] |accessdate=December 24, 2013}}</ref>
==Attack and control==
As they feed off the castor oil plant they may be extremely poisonous and should be avoided at all costs. Caterpillars damage foliage, resulting in defoliation and reduction of photosynthesis process. They also attack stems and bore into them, and finally the whole plant wilts and dies.<ref name="PestsCastor">{{cite web | url=http://www.krishisewa.com/articles/disease-management/64-castor-pests.html | title=Important Pests of Castor and its Management | publisher=Pests of Castor | accessdate=12 August 2016}}</ref>
Efforts to control the species are mainly mechanical, biological and chemical methods. Hand picking of late instars and usage of [[pheromone trap]]s and light traps are effective in removing adults. Many [[parasitoid]]s are used in biological control. Eggs can be destroyed using ''[[Trichogramma evanescens]]''. ''[[Microplitis maculipennis]]''<ref name="Acanthodeltajanata" /> is effective against caterpillars. Chalcid species ''[[Euplectrus]]'' and another a braconid, ''[[Rhogas]]'' are also used. In chemical control, [[quinalphos]], [[chlorpyrifos]], [[carbaryl]], [[monocrotophos]], [[endosulphan]] sprays are used. [[neem oil|Neem seed kernel extract]] sprays are used to destroy eggs.<ref name="PestsCastor" />
<gallery>
Image:Starr 020124-0038 Ricinus communis.jpg|Caterpillar
Image:Achaea janata male ventral.jpg|Male, ventral view
Image:Achaea janata male dorsal.jpg|Male, dorsal view
Image:Achaea janata female ventral.jpg|Female, ventral view
Image:Achaea janata female dorsal.jpg|Female, dorsal view
</gallery>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{Wikicommons}}
{{Wikispecies}}
*[http://www.mothsofborneo.com/part-15-16/ophiusini/ophiusini_5_2.php Species info]
*[http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=TH8621091 Life cycle of castor semilooper &#91;''Achaea janata'' Linn.&#93; and its control]
*[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022201115300227 Differential oxidative stress responses in castor semilooper, ''Achaea janata'']
*[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.595.3242&rep=rep1&type=pdf Induction of glutathione S-transferase in the castor semilooper, ''Achaea janata'' (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) following fenitrothion treatment]
*[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281765806_Calling_behaviour_and_male_response_to_pheromone_gland_extracts_of_castor_semilooper_Achaea_janata_L_lepidoptera_Noctuidae Calling behaviour and male response to pheromone gland extracts of castor semilooper, ''Achaea janata'']
{{Taxonbar |from=Q4673374}}
[[Category:Achaea (moth)|janata]]
[[Category:Moths of Oceania]]
[[Category:Moths of Asia]]
[[Category:Moths of Japan]]
[[Category:Moths of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Moths described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]