Family: - Noctuidae
Order: - LepidopteraBiology:
Life Cycle:Instar | Size mm | Day to develop |
1 | 1.5 | 13-21 |
2 | 3 | 16-21 |
3 | 7 | 8-11 |
4 | 13 | ~7 |
5 | 23-28 | ~7 |
6 | 28-31 | ~7 |
Habitats:
Breeds in native vegetation and in the pastoral areas and migrates south into the agricultural areas.Origin and History:
Australian native insect.Distribution:
Throughout the agricultural and pastoral areas of WA.Significance:
Caterpillar is a pest of a wide variety of crops and plants including mallows. Eats buds, flowers, fruits and young leaves usually making a characteristic round hole. Caterpillars are often seen with their heads buried in this hole. Budworms are major pests of cotton, sunflower, lupins, linseed, canola, tomatoes, beans, peas, chickpeas, lucerne, Persian clover, Balansa clover, subterranean clover, medic, serradella, maize and tobacco. Occasionally cereals are attacked as caterpillars move out of drying pastures.Management and Control:
A number of strains have become tolerant of common insecticides which can make control very difficult.Thresholds:
Start monitoring from flowering.Crop | Budworms per 10 sweeps of insect net. | Expected yield loss kg/ha/day |
Lupins | 5 | 7 |
Peas | 1 | 50 |
Chickpea (Desi) | 1 | 30 |
Vetches | 4 | 10 |
Faba Bean | 1-2 | 70 |
Lentil | 1-2 | 60 |
Canola | 4 | 6 |
Related Species:
Armyworm, Bogong moth, Cluster caterpillar, Common Armyworm, Corn Earworm, Cutworms, Helicoverpa, Heliothis, Inland Armyworm, Loopers, Native budworm, Southern Armyworm.Similar Species:
References:Acknowledgments:
Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 for more information.