Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 155 (2012) 15–28 brill.nl/tve A description of the eggs of seven species of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) commonly transported by plant trade to the UK, and their separation using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy Anastasia Korycinska Eggs of seven economically important noctuids commonly transported in plant trade, three of quarantine plant health significance in Europe, are described and illustrated using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Autographa gamma (Linnaeus), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Lacanobia oleracea (Linnaeus), Mamestra brassicae (Linnaeus), Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), S. littoralis (Boisduval) and S. litura (Fabricius) could be separated using external morphological characters on the chorion of the eggs, enabling early identification of quarantine pest species. Keys to distinguish the eggs of the seven species are provided. Anastasia Korycinska, The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, United Kingdom.
[email protected] Introduction The eggs can subsequently be prepared for scanning Immature stages of Lepidoptera, many from the electron microscope (SEM) micrographs, reared to family Noctuidae, are inadvertently, and frequently, confirm the identification, or sent for molecular anal- transported during international plant trade (Ma- ysis, depending on the rapid screening results and the lumphy & Robinson 2002). While the adults of individual requirements of the import sample. most species are well described, there is often little in- Eggs are often less obvious during pre-import in- formation available for other life stages. Lepidoptera spections than the larger and active later life stages, intercepted on plant material by plant health author- and so are often the life stage encountered during ities are almost exclusively immature life stages, i.e., plant health border inspections.