Biology, Population Fluctuation, and Foliar Consumption Rate of Durrantia arcanella Busk, 1912 (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae), a Defoliator of Oil Palm in the Colombian Caribbean.

Simple Summary: Colombia currently has 595,722 oil palm-cultivated hectares, but production is declining due to phytophagous insects feeding mainly on the leaves; one of them, Durrantia arcanella, is a recurring pest in the northern palm zone of Colombia, for which we do not have all the essential information. Therefore, it was proposed to determine its biology, foliar consumption rate, population fluctuation, and relationship with climatic variables and to identify its main natural enemies in the department of Cesar. The life cycle under laboratory conditions, including adult longevity, was 48.0 ± 10.1 days, the egg stage lasted 8.0 ± 0.7 days, the larva stage lasted 24.2 ± 6.2 days, the pre-pupa stage lasted 1.5 ± 0.5 days, the pupa stage lasted 7.1 ± 0.9 and the adult had a longevity of 7.2 ± 2.0 days. At the end of the larval period, it was determined that they individually consumed 8.2 ± 5.3 cm2 of leaflets. Correlation was found between D. arcanella population dynamics and climatic factors such as temperature and relative humidity, likewise with natural enemies. Durrantia arcanella is a recurring pest insect of oil palm in Colombia. Because the biology and ecology of D. arcanella are unknown, it was proposed to determine the life cycle and foliar consumption under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, through sequential sampling for two and a half years, its population fluctuation and natural enemies were determined in Agustín Codazzi and El Copey (Cesar, Colombia). Also, temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity were registered. The life cycle of D. arcanella lasted 48.0 ± 10.1 days, the egg 8.0 ± 0.7 days, larva 24.2 ± 6.2 days, pre-pupa 1.5 ± 0.5 days, pupa 7.1 ± 0.9 days, and adult 7.2 ± 2.0 days. The larvae consumed 8.2 ± 5.3 cm2 of leaflets. Correlations were found between the population fluctuation in D. arcanella and the temperature in El Copey (ρ = −0.45; p < 0.0043), relative humidity in Codazzi (ρ = 0.33; p < 0.034), and with the natural control in both locations ((ρ = 0, 61; p < 0.000044) and (ρ = 0.42; p < 0.006)). These results suggest monitoring the pest populations in the second semester of the year and show the importance of promoting native natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]