Neem, the wonder tree, under attack: a new major pest
Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae), popularly known as neem, is a wellrecognized tree. Despite its insecticidal properties, neem in the Indian subcontinent is known to be infested by insect pests. In November 2009, mature neem trees in the village of Bhauli, Bakshi ka Talab, Lucknow, started defoliating and soon consumed the entire leaves. This attracted the attention of researchers, as it had hitherto not been observed. Observations revealed a lepidopteran to be the cause of this.