A New Pest Species of Copitarsia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the Neotropical Region Feeding on Asparagus and Cut Flowers

The egg, first and last instars, and adult of Copitarsia corruda, n. sp. from Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are described and illustrated. Larval host plant genera include Asparagus (Liliaceae) (Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador), Iris (Iridaceae) (Ecuador), Ammi (Apiaceae) (Ecuador), Lysimachia (Primulaceae) (Colombia), Callistephus (Asteraceae) (Colombia), and Aster (Asteraceae) (Colombia). The larva of Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) is described and illustrated. In addition to genitalic and larval characters, mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) was analyzed to differentiate C. corruda from Copitarsia decolora (Guenee), and to examine geographic and host plant differences between the two species.