Host Range of the Mesquite Cutworm, Melipotis indomita (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a Potential Biocontrol Agent for Mesquite (Prosopis spp)

The mesquite cutworm, Melipotis indomita (Walker), is the major defoliator of mesquite in central Texas. In the laboratory, the cutworm larvae developed normally on honey mesquite (P. glandulosa Torrey var. glandulosa) and the Argentine vinal (P. ruscifolia Grisebach). Velvet mesquite (P. velutina Wooton), western honey mesquite (P. g. var. torreyana (Benson) Johnston), the Mexican P. laevigata (H. and B. ex. Willdenow) Johnston and P. juliflora (Swartz) DC, and the Argentine P. flexuosa DC were slightly less suitable hosts. Larvae developed occasionally on a natural hybrid of the Argentine P. alba Grisebach from Tucson, Arizona, but not on a commercial P. alba hybrid developed in southern Texas. Larvae did not develop on the two screw-bean mesquites tested (P. pubescens Bentham and P. reptans Bentham var. cinerascens (A. Gray) Burkart) or on 12 other species of woody legumes from central Texas, although an occasional larva fed for a few days on some of them. Among 11 species of mostly tropical leguminous trees tested, larvae developed and produced adults normally on manila tamarind (Pithecellobium dulce (Roxburgh) Bentham) and one adult was produced on monkeypod (Samanea saman (Jacquin) Merrill). In a biological control program, the mesquite cutworm would complement the damage from other foliage feeders that could be introduced from South America. It could be a candidate for introduction into other countries where mesquite has become a pest, provided that a foliage feeder were the type of control agent wanted.