Spotting differences early: A comparative account of sensilla on antennae and mouthparts in larval stages of two moth species from family Erebidae (Lepidoptera)

The larval stages heavily rely on sensilla for receiving and transmitting biologically significant information from the surrounding environment. The sensilla are predominantly located on antennae and mouthparts of larval instars and are fundamental units of chemoreception. Sensilla can therefore serve as a taxonomically significant character if one has the ability and perseverance to perceive details minutely. The present study is a SEM investigation of ultrastructure of antenna and mouthparts in all larval instars of two lepidopteran pest species Aglaomorpha plagiata (Walker, 1855) and Andala unifascia (Walker, 1855) belonging to same family, Erebidae with primary focus on providing a comparative account that can help with identification of species during early stages of life cycle. Such an approach will even help future electrophysiological studies for understanding behavioural mechanisms of pests as well as supporting phylogenies.