First Report of Elaphria agrotina and Elaphria deltoides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Elaphriini) Feeding on Maize.

This is the first report of Elaphria agrotina (Guenée, 1852) and Elaphria deltoides (Möschler, 1880) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) feeding on maize ( Zea mays L.). The specimens were collected in maize fields during the crop season of 2012 and 2013 in three municipalities in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Larvae were collected while feeding at the ear base, which often resulted in ears dropping to the ground. Larvae also were observed feeding on kernels in fallen ears. Ear injury often leads to reduced grain quality, and when the ears fall to the ground, reduced yield. A previous report of Striacosta albicosta (Smith, 1888) feeding on maize in Brazil was probably a misidentification of an E. agrotina male, which has wing pattern and coloration similarities with S. albicosta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]