According to Diakonoff (1973) subtribe Olethreutae is classified into a total of 27 genera and three genera groups: Olethreutes, Hedya, Apotomis. Up to data, 62 species belonging to 11 genera of Olethreutae have been reported in Korea(KSAE & ESK, 2021). In this study, we provide a checklist of subtribe Olethreutae with illustrations of adult, and genitalia of example species of each genus group.

Eucosmini Meyrick, 1909 is one of the largest groups in subfamily Olethreutinae, with more than 1,650 species of 128 genera. In Korea, 96 species of 26 genera have been recorded by several authors (Park, 1981, Bae, 1992, et al.). In this study, we provide a brief overview and a checklist of Eucosmini, with illustrations of adults and genitalia for examined species.

Ctenoplusia agnata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest that damage on crops belonging to the Fabaceae and Brassicaceae, and it is known as a migratory pest. In this study, we investigated pattern of occurrence to trace invasion characteristics using sex pheromone traps and conducted genetic analysis of captured individuals while also exploring their correlation with air currents. Our findings suggest that C.agnata exhibits an annual occurrence of four generations in Korea, with the second or third generation, primarily active from July to September, posing a significant threat to soybean. Genetic analysis revealed the presence of 17 haplotypes, and trajectory modeling confirmed the influence of air currents from Kyushu, Japan and Zhejiang, China etc. These results are expected to be used as a comprehensive management of C.agnata and other migratory moth species.

벚나무류 수목은 생활권 수목(도시공원, 가로수 등)으로 전국에서 가장 많이 식재되고 있으며 전라 남도 또한 벚나무류 수목이 가로수 중 가장 많은 비율을 차지하고 있다. 복숭아유리나방은 농업환경 외에도 생활권 녹지공간에서도 벚나무류 수목을 가해하여 피해를 발생시키고 있는 것으로 보고되고 있으나, 생활권 수목과 산림에서의 관련 연구는 그 필요성에 비해 미흡한 상황이다. 본 연구는 전라남 도 내 생활권 수목을 기주로 하여 발생하는 복숭아유리나방의 발생소장을 조사하여 생활권 녹지공간 을 관리하는 기초자치단체들의 효용성 있는 방제 전략 수립에 기여하고자 한다. 복숭아유리나방의 발생 확인을 위해 육안 확인이 용이한 피해흔을 세 가지로 분류하였으며, 성페로몬 루어와 트랩으로 복숭아유리나방 성체를 유인･채집하였다. 그 결과, 4월 중순 첫 우화를 확인하였으며, 5월 중순과 8월 중순에 2번의 우화 최성기를 확인하여 이때의 유효적산온도를 조사하였다. 또한, 채집된 개체들 의 종 확인 및 유전적 다양성 확인을 위해 mitochondrial 내 cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) 유전자 염기 서열의 분석을 수행하였다.

Palaclemensia is a genus within the family Incurvariidae, and it has been reported to be a monophagous or narrow oligophagous genus, like other incurvariids, except for two polyphagous species, Paraclemensia incerta and P. acerifoliella. Paraclemensia incerta is one of the common species in Japan and Korea, and seven host plant families are recognized. However, these host records aren’t based on DNA analysis or detailed morphological comparison. Therefore, it was hypothesized that there is genetic differentiation among host races in P. incerta. To investigate this hypothesis, DNA analysis and morphological comparison were performed on Paraclemensia species collected from Japan. As a result, genetic divergence among populations feeding different host plants was not confirmed. Moreover, not only P. incerta but also P. caerulea were suggested to be polyphagous. In contrast, geographic genetic divergence in P. incerta and P. caerulea was observed in Japan. Additionally, it is suggested that P. viridis, P. oligospina, and P. cyanea, despite external morphological differences, could be the same species.

The genus Eudarcia belong to the subfamily Meessiinae was established by Clemens (1860), based on type species Eudarcia simulatricella Clemens, 1860. The genus is comprising 82 species in the world, which are wide spread and diverse throughout the Palaearctic region. Among them, nine species of Eudarcia are distributed in East Asia. In Korea four species of the genus Eudarcia have been reported to date. In the past, the subfamily Meessiinae was treated within the family Tineidae. Regier (2015) revised the addition of two families (Meessiidae, Dryadaulidae) to the superfamily Tineoidea through molecular analysis. In this study we described Eudarcia sp. as a new species, with illustration of adults and male genitalia.

The subfamilies Hypenodinae and Boletobiinae has various size with wingspan 5.5-28mm, belonging to the family Erebidae. They are mainly distributed the Palaearctic region, including temperate zone. Host plants of them are known as fungi and lichen etc. Some larvae live with lichen on their bodies. The subfamily belongs to subfamily is the Noctuoidea, containing more than 42,500 species. Accordingly, a unified high-level classification system could not be established due to the different opinions among the researchers and perspectives on the characteristics of each taxon. Recently, Zahiri et al. (2011, 2012) established the taxonomy of the family Erebidae, based on the molecular phylogenetic study. As we know, there has been a lot of confusion regarding the taxonomic positions of subfamily with allied taxa according to the complicated upper taxonomic system. Thus, this study is aimed to review and discuss the taxonomic history of the groups in this study.

The family Crambidae, so called as Grass moths, have been known as a difficult group in identification due to their similar wing patterns among the allied species. Some species are well known as pests to the agricultural and ornamental plants of economic importance. Therefore, this study was carried out to provide the DNA barcode and related information for distinguishing the complex species among Crambidae. In this study, we extracted and analyzed the DNA barcodes from 185 specimens of 76 species in the family Crambidae. Based on the result, one species of the genus Schoenobius, Pagyda, Neoanalthes, Palpita, Ecpyrrhorrhoe and Paratalanta area reported for the first time from Korea.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Western Hemisphere is now annually arrives in Korea. In this study, we developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, one of the main merits of which is a rapid identification of target species. Five among 11 FAW-specific loci tested successfully provided a consistent reaction when ten FAWs, which were collected from eight localities in four countries were tested, whereas the 13 non-target species were not amplified. To increase in-field applicability of the method all life stages, reaction time, and different periods after death was tested using the quick extracted DNA. Our FAW diagnostic protocol can be completed within 30 min, from the process of extracting genomic DNA from an egg or a 1st instar larva to species determination.

국내 유입 가능성이 높은 검역 관리해충인 Spodoptera eridania 및 S. ornithogalli는 전 세계적으로 토마토, 콩 등 여러 종의 작물을 가해하는 광식성 해충이다. 이에 따라 국내 유입 시 해당 작물에 높은 경제적 피해를 입힐 가능성 이 있으므로 신속 정확한 진단이 필요한 실정이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 상기 두 종을 대상으로 현장 활용이 가능한 LAMP 진단법 개발을 수행하였다. 표적종 두 종 및 비표적종 11종(국내 발생 Spodoptera 종 및 동일 기주 가해종 등)의 전장유전체 정보를 확보한 후 비교 분석을 통해 각 표적종 별 특이적 영역을 확보한 후 해당 영역을 대상으로 LAMP 프라이머를 제작하였다. DNA 농도 10 ng/μL, 반응시간 40분을 기준으로 LAMP 진단을 수행한 결과, Spodoptera eridania는 5개의 LAMP 진단 마커를 개발하였고, S. ornithogalli는 3개의 LAMP 진단 마커를 개발하였다.

Climate change and biological invasions are the greatest threats to biodiversity, agriculture, health and the global economy. Tomato leafminer(Tuta absoluta) (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most important threats to agriculture worldwide. This pest is characterized by rapid reproduction, strong dispersal ability, and highly overlapping of generations. Plants are damaged by direct feeding on leaves, stems, buds, calyces, young ripe fruits and by the invasion of secondary pathogens which enter through the wounds made by the pest. Since it invaded Spain in 2006, it has spread to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and, in 2010, to some countries in Central Asia and Southeast Asia. In East Asia, Tomato leafminer was first detected in China in Yili, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in 2017. There is a possibility that this pest will invade South Korea as well. This study provides this by the use of MaxEnt algorithm for modelling the potential geographical distribution of Tomato Leafminer in South Korea Using presence-only data.

Bombyx mandarina (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), the presumed ancestor of B. mori, has long been a subject of study to illustrate the geographic relationships in connection with origin of B. mori. We report 97 mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of B. mandarina collected from Korea and Japan. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses showed that all individuals of B. mandarina collected in Korean localities formed a strong group together with all individuals originated from northern China (mainly north of the Qinling-Huaihe line) and some of southern China. This group was placed as the sister group to B. mori strians suggesting that this group had been served as an immediate progenitor for B. mori.

The family Erebidae is acknowledged as a highly diverse group in Lepidoptera. The genus Ischyja Hübner, 1823 has been known from India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, Borneo, and Sundaland, predominantly in the old world tropic region. This research presents identification of two species, which have been in Vietnam for the first time. With these new findings, the total number of Ischyja species has increased to four. We present a checklist of them, including descriptions and illustrations of the newly recorded species.

In the genus Acrobasis Zeller, 1839, there are 14 species known in Korea. In this study, we present Acrobasis rubrizonella (Ragonot, 1893) and Acrobasis subceltifoliella Yamanaka, 2006 from Korea for the first time. We hear provide diagnoses, descriptions, and images of the adults and genitalia of the two species.

Spodoptera litura Fabricius, 1775 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious crop pest with a long-distance migratory flight. To date, the DNA barcode region has been widely used in genetic diversity analysis studies of Spodoptera litura. However, the DNA barcode region showed maximum variation rate of S. litura, which from 18 regions in South Korea, was 0.608% (nine haplotypes) in previous study. In this study, four mitochondrial genes (ND4, ND4L, ND1, 16s rRNA) have higher intra-specific variation rates than the DNA barcode region. Among the four genes, The variation rate of the 16s rRNA region was confirmed to be a minimum of 0.203% (2bp) and a maximum of 1.824% (18bp). Finally, the 16s rRNA region with the highest PCR amplification efficiency and highest variation rate was selected as a high-efficiency molecular marker.

Opostegidae is a microlepidopteran family (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea) that includes almost 190 species belonging to eight genera worldwide. Since Shin recorded Opostegoides Kozlov in Korea, only two species of the genus have been recorded in Korea among the family. We found the genus Pseudopostega Kozlov, 1988 from Gangwon-do Jeongseon. This study reports the genus Pseudopostega Kozlov, 1985, for the first time. Illustrations of adult and genitalisa are also provided.

The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a native species in East Asia specialized in box trees (Buxus sp.) but has recently invaded most European countries. Due to the absence of its natural enemies in Europe, the economic impact is serious in most countries. In order to find parasitoids as biological control agents in Korea, C. perspectalis larvae were collected from ornamental and native box trees from various regions of the country from 2022 to 2023. While rearing them in the insectary, several parasitoids emerged from the larvae. We found at least six larval parasitoids, including five wasp species and one fly species. Molecular diagnosis using the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) showed that most samples were 90–97% identical to the data in the NCBI database. Further studies are required to determine biological and parasitic characteristics, such as developmental rate, fecundity, host specificity, and parasitic rate, to clarify the suitability of parasitoids as biological control agents.

Since 2007, diamide insecticides have been widely used in Korea to control various types of lepidopteran pests including Spodoptera exigua. For nearly a decade, diamide resistance in field populations of S. exigua across 18 localities has been monitored using bioassays. Based on the LC50 values, some field populations showed a high level of resistance against chlorantraniliprole, although regional and temporal variations were observed. To investigate resistance at a molecular level, mutations (Y4701C, I4790M, and G4946E) were examined in the ryanodine receptor (RyR), which is the primary mechanism underlying diamide insecticide resistance. As a result, only I4790M mutation was found in most of field populations. As resistance levels varied significantly despite the uniform presence of the I4790M mutation, we considered the presence of another resistance factor. Further, the I4790M mutation was also found in S. exigua specimens collected prior to the commercialization of diamide insecticides in Korea as well as in other countries, such as the USA. This finding led us to hypothesize that the I4790M mutation were predisposed in field populations owing to selection factors other than diamide use. For further clarification, we conducted whole-genome sequencing of S. exigua (449.83 Mb) and re-sequencing of 18 individuals. However, no additional non-synonymous mutations were detected in the RyR-coding region. Therefore, the high level of diamide insecticide resistance in Korean S. exigua is not caused by mutations at the target site, RyR, but is attributed to other factors that need to be investigated in future studies.

Some of Helicoverpa species (Noctuidae: Heliothinae) are among the worst Lepidopteran agricultural pests in the world, such as H. armigera, H. assulta, H. zea, and H. punctigera. Despite different distribution areas, these species possibly migrate long distances both with and without human transportation, mixing insecticide resistance alleles along the way. As these species are morphologically similar at the larval stage, diagnostic methods have been developed and utilized for their identification. Here, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid and effective species diagnosis, along with PCR, to identify Korean field-collected or overseas samples. Species-specific primers were designed by aligning and comparing the mitochondrial genomes of related species, including four species. There are differences depending on the species and the optimal temperature and reaction time of the LAMP assay, depending on the set of four essential primers. For instance, H. armigera sensitivity is good enough to allow visual discrimination when reacted at 61°C for 30 minutes. This simple and accurate LAMP assay can be used for intensive field monitoring and integrated management of these species.

This study was conducted to review of the genus Bucculatrix Zeller, 1839, belonging the family Bucculatricidae of the superfamily Gracillarioidea from Korea. The genus Bucculatrix was comprising more than 300 species worldwide. In Korea, only two species have been reported to date. In this study, a total of 10 species are recognized from Korea. Among them, five species, Bucculatrix sp. nov.1, Bucculatrix sp. nov.2 and Bucculatrix sp. nov.3, Bucculatrix sp. nov.4 and Bucculatrix sp. nov.5 are described as new to science. Also, three species: B. duanwuia Liu, 2020, B. tsurubamella Kobayashi, Hirowatari & Kuroko, 2010 and B. splendida Seksjaeva, 1992 are reported for the first time from Korea. All available information, host plants and images of adults and genitalic structures for species is provided.