About Maruca vitrata (Fabricius, 1787)
Maruca vitrata, first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1787, is a pantropical insect pest that attacks leguminous crops including pigeon pea, cowpea, mung bean, and soybean. This species has several common names: maruca pod borer, bean pod borer, soybean pod borer, mung moth, and legume pod borer. Infestations of Maruca vitrata can cause cowpea harvest losses ranging from 20% to 80%. The insect feeds on plant flower buds, flowers, and young pods. In some cases, early instars also feed on flower peduncles and young stems. Maruca vitrata is distributed across tropical regions worldwide, and can be found in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, and Oceania.
