FIRST RECORD OF Etiella zinckenella (Treitschke) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) AFFECTING SEEDS OF NATIVE Alstroemeria spp. PLANT IN VALPARAÍSO, CHILE

Abstract

Etiella zinckenella is a cosmopolitan pest of worldwide distribution that mainly attacks species of the Fabaceae family, particularly soybean as it is considered the main host for the insect. The larvae enter the pods and feed on the seeds, producing feces that accumulate and cause seed loss. In Chile, E. zinckenella has been reported in the Metropolitan Region, but there is no information about the host in which it was detected. During the period February-March 2019, populations of native Alstroemeria spp. (A. angustifolia, A. cummingiana and A. marticorenae) were surveyed in the sector of Rodelillo Alto, Viña del Mar, and fruits were collected in order to identify the causal agent of perforations detected in them. In the capsules collected, the presence of E. zinckenella larvae feeding on the seeds was recorded. The determination of the insect at the species level was carried out with a morphological analysis of the larvae, confirmed through observation of the genitalia of adult females and males during rearing. This study is the first report on detection and identification of E. zinckenella in native Alstroemerias populations in Chile.