First Record of the Bagworm Moth, Mahasena corbetti Tams (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bagworm, Mahasena corbetti Tams (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) is a serious polyphagous pest in Southeast Asia and some island of the Pacific. In Malaysia, it was included in the list of dangerous pest in Plant Quarantine Act (PQA) due to their destructive feeding habit and rapid expansion of distributional range. On 12 May 2018, severe infestation of this exotic species, M. corbetti was known for the first time on Areca nut (Areca catechu L.) in Patuakhali, Bangladesh. Later, hitherto unknown, three new host plants, Hena, Lawsonia inermis (Myrtales: Lythraceae); Coconut, Cocos nucifera (Arecales: Arecaceae); and Dracaena plant, Dracaena fragrans (Asparagales: Asparagaceae) were also reported for the first time in Bangladesh. Adult male moth and caterpillar were redescribed and illustrated with male genitalia for easy identification, and also to create the awareness among the areca nut and coconut growers about this destructive pest.