New host-plant record for Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) from Türkiye

Sunflower [Helianthus annuus L. (Asteraceae)] is a crop of considerable significance in agricultural production. This study was conducted during the 2023 growing season in Tokat Province to identify harmful Lepidoptera species associated with sunflower and their natural enemies. Preimaginal stages were periodically collected from sunflower fields at various phenological stages of the plant. These specimens were then reared under controlled laboratory conditions (25±2°C and 60±5% relative humidity) in containers containing sunflower leaves, and their development was monitored. The emerged adult Lepidoptera and parasitoids were subsequently identified. Taxonomic diagnoses revealed that the lepidopteran species was Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), and its associated parasitoid was Diadromus subtilicornis (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Based on these findings, sunflower was recorded as a new host plant for P. xylostella. Furthermore, P. xylostella was documented as a new faunistic record for Tokat Province. Additional information is provided regarding the host range, geographic distribution in Turkey and globally, and known parasitoids of P. xylostella.