Amata passalis

Amata passalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Subfamily:	Arctiinae
Genus:	Amata
Species:	A. passalis
Binomial name
	Amata passalis; (Fabricius, 1781)
Synonyms
	Zygaena passalis Fabricius, 1781; Zygaena cerbera Sulzer, 1776; Sphinx creusa Cramer, 1779; Syntomis latreillei Boisduval, 1829; Syntomis montana Butler, 1876; Syntomis passalis;

Amata passalis, the sandalwood defoliator, is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1781. It is found in Sri Lanka and India.^[1]

Biology

The average life cycle of the species in captivity is 62 days. After mating, the adult female lays about 305 eggs in a lifespan of 3.87 days. It is known to breed all year around and passes through 6-11 generations a year. There are eight larval instars. First and last instar larvae are about 1.97 mm and 29.29 mm in length, respectively. Adults usually emerge within 1 to 2 hours of sunrise. After a day, they are ready for mating.^[2]

It is known mainly as a defoliator of sandalwood (Santalum album) in India. It is also recorded on various alternate food plants, mainly cowpeas, various other pulses, and ornamental plants.^[3]^[4] The larval stage of Apanteles nepitae can be used as a parasite to control the moth.^[5]