Banisia myrsusalis (Walker, 1889) Pyralis myrsusalis Walker, 1859 Pyralis elaralis Walker, 1859 Siculodes cinereola Felder, Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875 Siculodes scallula Guenée, 1877 Durdara lobata Moore, 1882 Durdara pyraliata Moore, 1882 Durdara zonula Swinhoe, 1886 Striglina radiata Pagenstecher, 1892 Walker (1859) described Banisia myrsusalis from specimens of Tweedie’s collection at the BMNH. Description. Egg. Shiny pink and reddish-brown with white ridges. After hatching, they turn orange as in B. argutula. Larv a. First and second instar are transparent yellow changing to green after feeding; thorax brown. Third and fourth instar as previous, but with two dark-brown lateral patches on thorax. Larva length 6.8–8.9 mm (Fig. 1G). Pre-pupa. Similar to the last instar but paler and wider. Adult. Sexually dimorphic, male cinereous and slightly smaller than female; female reddish-cinereous. Wing expanse: males 19.4–20.1 mm, females 20.8–21.7 mm. Wings. Dorsal surface: Forewings grayish-brown with strigiform markings and from one to three translucent small spots in postdiscal area, anterior spot larger than posterior, bilateral asymmetry may occur. Males sometimes without translucent spots; costal and median areas ochraceous brown. Hindwings without translucent spots; brownish-black strigiform markings and a thin pink marginal line present. Ventral surface: both wings pale-brown with brownishblack strigiform markings surrounded by pale orange. Head. Antennae: Diminutively ciliate. Vertex: Cinereous. Mouthparts: Labial palp cinereous with third segment smaller than second. Body. Thorax and abdomen: Cinereous dorsally and pale-brown ventrally. Legs: Pale-brown (Fig. 2G). Distribution. Banisia myrsusalis is a species that it is native to the Neotropical Region, it was introduced to Asia and had been recorded in the USA mainly in Florida USA (Whalley 1976; Martinez et al. 2017), Brazil (Guenée 1877; Soares-da Silva et al. 2003; Monteiro et al. 2007). It has also been reported in the West Indies (Pagenstecher 1892; Whalley 1976; Bendicho-Lopez 1998; Núñez-Águila 2004) and Asia including India, Sri Lanka (Sandhu and Sran 1980; Jhala et al. 1988; Patel et al. 1993; Sathish et al. 2013, 2015), Malaysia (Corbett 1929; Holloway 1970), Hong Kong (Ades and Kendrick 2004), Japan (Hiroshi 1998) Indonesia, Madagascar, Thailand (Whalley 1976) and Vietnam (Konvička et al. 1998). Widely distributed in Africa (Whalley 1976; De Prins and De Prins 2019), Papua New Guinea and Australia (Whalley 1976; Herbison-Evans and Crossley 2014). Hosts. Banisia myrsusalis is an oligophagous moth previously associated only with plants of the Sapotaceae including Chrysophyllum cainito L., C. oliviforme L., Madhuca longifolia (J. Konig) J. F. Macbr., Manilkara zapota (L.) van Royen, M. subsericea (Mart.) Dubard, Mimusops elengi L. and Pouteria caimito Radlk.) (Bendicho-Lopez 1998; Robinson 1999; Silva et al. 2003; Monteiro et al. 2007). However, it has also been reported feeding on Terminalia elliptica Willd. (Combretaceae) (De Prins and De Prins 2019), and Ficus sp. (Moraceae), the latter of which is a new host record. Natural history. The adults are active during late summer (early August in southern Florida), increasing their populations during the rainy season. The females have been observed laying eggs mainly on the twigs, leaf buds, and fruit (Soares-da Silva et al. 2003). Four or five days after hatching, the larva rolls up in a leaf and chew a small hole where it starts to feed. When the larva finishes feeding within the leaf, it makes a second hole and moves to another leaf. The larval stage lasts 12–15 days. The pupal stage lasts 16–21 days. Pupation occurs mainly inside rolled leaves. Damage. When leaves are infested with larvae, they are transparent green with many blotch mines. After the larvae emerge from the leaves, the leaves become pale yellowish brown. Management. Contact pesticides are not effective because the larvae feed inside the leaves. For this reason, control is very difficult. Myers et al. (2008) used pesticides in sapodilla without significant effects. During our investigation we saw many predators that are natural enemies of both B. myrsusalis and B. argutula (see, B. argutula management).

Published as part of Martinez, Jose I., Crane, Jonathan H., Wasielewski, Jeff, Miller, Jacqueline Y. & Carrillo, Daniel, 2019, Lepidoptera pests of sapodilla (Manilkara zapota (L.) van Royen) in south Florida, with some comments on life history and natural control, pp. 1-26 in Insecta Mundi 739 (739) on pages 13-14, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3676599