Lamprosema

Hübner, 1823

Species Guides

Lamprosema baracoalis
Lamprosema canacealis
Lamprosema sinaloanensis
Lamprosema victoriae(Victorian Lamplighter Moth)

Lamprosema is a of in the Crambidae, Spilomelinae, described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. The genus contains approximately 80 described distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands. Several species are documented as agricultural pests, particularly on leguminous crops. The genus has been subject to taxonomic revision, with some species transferred to other genera over time.

Lamprosema baracoalis by (c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick. Used under a CC-BY license.

Lamprosema sinaloanensis by (c) Arthur de Jesús Chavarría Pérez, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Arthur de Jesús Chavarría Pérez. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lamprosema: /læmˈprəʊsɛmə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Habitat

Agricultural fields, particularly soybean plantations; tropical and subtropical forest . Specific preferences vary by .

Distribution

Pantropical and subtropical distribution including: Asia (India, China, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines), Africa (including Madagascar), Australia and Pacific Islands (Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea), and the Americas (Central America, Caribbean, South America). Some have more restricted ranges.

Host Associations

Glycine max - food plantLamprosema indicata documented as pest of edamame soybean
Vigna - food plantLamprosema diemenalis associated with this legume
Cajanus - food plantLamprosema diemenalis associated with this legume
Derris - food plantLamprosema diemenalis associated with this
Braconidae - Larval of Lamprosema indicata documented in Indonesia
Beauveria bassiana - fungus causing mortality in Lamprosema lateritialis larvae in Ghana

Ecological Role

Herbivores on leguminous plants; serve as for and fungi. Some function as forest pests or agricultural pests in crop systems.

Human Relevance

Several are documented as agricultural pests, particularly on soybean (Glycine max) and other legume crops. Lamprosema lateritialis has been identified as a major forest pest in Ghana. The is studied for potential using fungi.

Similar Taxa

MarucaAlso legume-feeding crambid ; some historically confused with or transferred between these
OmiodesSimilar Spilomelinae with overlapping plant associations on legumes

More Details

Taxonomic History

The has undergone significant taxonomic revision. Some originally described in Lamprosema have been transferred to other genera (e.g., Lamprosema charesalis and Lamprosema immundalis listed as former species). The genus was historically placed in Pyralidae before modern classification moved it to Crambidae.

Species Diversity

The contains approximately 80 described based on available literature, with the type species being Lamprosema lunulalis Hübner, 1823. New species continue to be described, particularly from Madagascar and Southeast Asia.