Question:

Athalia lugens belongs to which of the following insect order?

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Do not let the common name "sawfly" confuse you; all sawflies are primitive Hymenoptera (lacking a constricted waist), not Diptera!
  • Coleoptera
  • Lepidoptera
  • Hemiptera
  • Hymenoptera
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Taxonomic classification of crop pests is a major topic in agricultural entomology.
Identifying the insect order of a pest helps in understanding its life history, mouthparts, and developmental pattern.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Athalia lugens (commonly referred to as the mustard sawfly, often classified as Athalia proxima Athalia lugens proxima) is a significant pest of cruciferous crops in India, particularly mustard.
Unlike most crop pests commonly referred to as "flies," the mustard sawfly is not a dipteran.
It belongs to the family Tenthredinidae, which is a group of primitive wasp-like insects known as sawflies.
Sawflies belong to the suborder Symphyta under the order Hymenoptera.
Unlike advanced hymenopterans (Apocrita), sawflies do not possess a constricted "wasp-waist" (petiole) between the thorax and abdomen.
The larvae of the mustard sawfly are caterpillar-like but can be distinguished from lepidopteran caterpillars by having 6 to 8 pairs of abdominal prolegs (without crochets).

Step 3: Final Answer:

Therefore, Athalia lugens belongs to the order Hymenoptera.
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