A review of the biology and distribution of the banana skippers and related species.

What is it about?

Skipper butterflies of the genus Erionota have appeared in the literature as pests of bananas and palms and bananas for many years. This review attempts to sort out the confusion between the three species involved, two of which feed on bananas and one of which feeds on palms. The two banana skippers have been accidentally introduced into several parts of the world. The review summarizes what is known about their distribution, food plants, early stages, natural enemies and biological control using natural enemies.

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Why is it important?

These are potentially very damaging pests of banana, especially when introduced into new areas. Because these pests are not distributed throughout the tropics, it is important to understand which ones exist where, in order to assess the risk of their further spread. For example, although one species is introduced in Mauritius and another in Hawaii, none are known from elsewhere in Africa or the Americas. To better manage those risks, and manage these skipper butterflies as pests where they already occur it is important to understand aspects of their ecology such as food plants and biology. To develop better management methods information on natural enemies and biological control is essential.