Classification

Noctuoidea: Noctuidae: Cuculliinae: Copitarsia

Larval diagnosis (Detailed)

There are from six to 25 species in Copitarsia depending on the taxonomic authority, but only a few of these are economic pests (Gould et al. 2013Gould et al. 2013:
Gould, J., R. Simmons and R. Venette. 2013. Chapter 9: Copitarsia spp.: biology and risk posed by potentially invasive Lepidoptera from South and Central America, pp. 162-182. In J. E. Pena (ed.). Potential invasive pests of agricultural crops. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International. Wallingford, Great Britain.). Consult Pogue (2014)Pogue (2014):
Pogue, M. G. 2014. A review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species complex with a description of a new species from Chile and Argentina. Neotropical Entomology. DOI:10.1007/s13744-013-0190-9. 11 pp. for a critical review of nomenclature in the Copitarsia decolora complex, including host plants and some larval descriptions. Most of the species of concern to APHIS are treated in his publication. Additional descriptions are given by Angulo et al. (1985)Angulo et al. (1985):
Angulo, A. O., C. Jana-Saenz and L. E. Parra. 1985. Copitarsia consueta (Walker) y Copitarsia naenoides (Butler): Espineretes larvales como caracteres diagnosticos (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Agro Sur 13: 133-134., Arce de Hamity and Neder de Roman (1993)Arce de Hamity and Neder de Roman (1993):
Arce de Hamity, M. G. and L. E. Neder de Roman. 1993. Morfologia de los estados inmaduros y aspectos etologicos de Copitarsia turbata (Herrich-Schaffer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Neotropica 39: 29-33., Angulo and Olivares (2005)Angulo and Olivares (2005):
Angulo, A. O. and T. S. Olivares. 2005. Two larval characters to separate Copitarsia incommoda (Walker) from C. decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Gayana 69: 409-410., Angulo et al. (2006)Angulo et al. (2006):
Angulo A. O., T. S. Olivares and G. Th. Weigert. 2006. Estados inmaduros de Lepidopteros noctuidos de importancia economica agricola y forestal en Chile (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Impresos Siglo Veintiuno Ltda. Concepcion, Chile. 154 pp., and Zuniger et al. (2006). Color illustrations of larval Copitarsia were published by CESAVEP (2002), Angulo et al. (2006)Angulo et al. (2006):
Angulo A. O., T. S. Olivares and G. Th. Weigert. 2006. Estados inmaduros de Lepidopteros noctuidos de importancia economica agricola y forestal en Chile (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Impresos Siglo Veintiuno Ltda. Concepcion, Chile. 154 pp., Passoa (2007)Passoa (2007):
Passoa, S. 2007. Quarantine significant Lepidoptera of concern to the southern United States. Southern Plant Diagnostic Network Invasive Arthropod Workshop. May 7-9 2007. Clemson University. Clemson, South Carolina., Pogue [2010], and Gould et al. (2013)Gould et al. (2013):
Gould, J., R. Simmons and R. Venette. 2013. Chapter 9: Copitarsia spp.: biology and risk posed by potentially invasive Lepidoptera from South and Central America, pp. 162-182. In J. E. Pena (ed.). Potential invasive pests of agricultural crops. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International. Wallingford, Great Britain..

Typically, late instars of Copitarsia are recognized by the short last segment of the labial palpilabial palpus:
a pair of small, segmented sensory structures arising on the distolateral portions of the labium
, a medianmedian:
in the middle
depression at the apex of the spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
and the presence of a minute sclerotizedsclerotized:
hardened and tanned, so that it is yellow to black in color
bar connecting both the SD1 and SD2 setal bases to a ventral tonofibrillary platelettonofibrillary platelet:
a small, external, flattened, sclerotized area of the integument associated with muscle attachment
on the mesothoraxmesothorax:
the second thoracic segment
and metathoraxmetathorax:
the third thoracic segment
(Weisman 1986Weisman 1986:
Weisman, D. M. 1986. Keys for the identification of some frequently intercepted lepidopterous larvae. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine series 81-47. 64 pp.). In addition, the mandible always lacks a retinaculumretinaculum:
a projection or toothlike structure on the oral surface of the mandible
, the mature larvalarva:
the stages between the egg and pupa of those insects having complete metamorphosis
has white body setaeseta:
a hairlike projection of the body wall that is articulated in a socket; compare to spine
and the early instar larvalarva:
the stages between the egg and pupa of those insects having complete metamorphosis
has a mottled head, dark body setaeseta:
a hairlike projection of the body wall that is articulated in a socket; compare to spine
, and a green dorsum having faint white stripes (Riley unpublished, Weisman 1986Weisman 1986:
Weisman, D. M. 1986. Keys for the identification of some frequently intercepted lepidopterous larvae. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine series 81-47. 64 pp., Passoa 2007Passoa 2007:
Passoa, S. 2007. Quarantine significant Lepidoptera of concern to the southern United States. Southern Plant Diagnostic Network Invasive Arthropod Workshop. May 7-9 2007. Clemson University. Clemson, South Carolina.). The first three instars have reduced prolegsprolegs:
fleshy, unjointed abdominal legs with or without crochets; false legs
on A3 and A4 and move in a looping fashion (semi-loopers); later instars have abdominal prolegsabdominal prolegs:
all prolegs on any abdominal segment except the last, which are Anal prolegs
of equal size allowing normal movement without looping (Arce de Hamity and Neder de Roman 1993: 32).

However, both the spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
morphology and body coloration of Copitarsia are variable. Not all species have an equal indentation at the apex of the spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
. Copitarsia gibberosa has deep indentation, giving the impression of two lobes (Pogue 2014Pogue 2014:
Pogue, M. G. 2014. A review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species complex with a description of a new species from Chile and Argentina. Neotropical Entomology. DOI:10.1007/s13744-013-0190-9. 11 pp.). The spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
of C. corruda and C. decolora are both broadly rounded, but C. decolora differs from the former species in having a slight medianmedian:
in the middle
notch (Pogue and Simmons 2008Pogue and Simmons 2008:
Pogue, M. G. and R. B. Simmons. 2008. A new pest species of Copitarsia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the Neotropical region feeding on Asparagus and cut flowers. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 101: 743-762.). Neither C. naenoides (Angulo et al. 2005) nor C. incommoda (Pogue 2011Pogue 2011:
Pogue, M. G. 2011. Larval description of Copitarsia incommoda (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 104: 1292-1296.) have a medianmedian:
in the middle
indentation on the spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
.

Body coloration is also variable both in markings and ground color. Copitarsia decolora from Mexico, previously known as C. consueta, has a green or brown color form, each with or without large dorsaldorsal:
at the top or back or above
triangular markings on the last few abdominal segments and sometimes with red markings near the abdominal spiracles (CESAVEP 2002). Pogue (2011)Pogue (2011):
Pogue, M. G. 2011. Larval description of Copitarsia incommoda (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 104: 1292-1296. noted green and brown color forms also occur in C. corruda and that the dorsaldorsal:
at the top or back or above
markings are like dashes in C. incommoda. Passoa (2007)Passoa (2007):
Passoa, S. 2007. Quarantine significant Lepidoptera of concern to the southern United States. Southern Plant Diagnostic Network Invasive Arthropod Workshop. May 7-9 2007. Clemson University. Clemson, South Carolina. illustrated Copitarsia larvae showing a green morph with red near the spiracles, brown morphs in two shades and an early instar larvalarva:
the stages between the egg and pupa of those insects having complete metamorphosis
with Spodoptera exigua-like coloration.

Given the similar coloration, it is easy to confuse early instar Copitarsia and Spodoptera exigua. However, Copitarsia never has a black mesothoracic spot typical of S. exigua. In addition, the head of Copitarsia, although variable in pattern, is often more speckled than S. exigua (compare Wagner et al. 2011Wagner et al. 2011:
Wagner, D. L., D. F. Schweitzer, J. B. Sullivan and R. C. Reardon. 2011. Owlet caterpillars of eastern North America. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. 576 pp. to Pogue [2010]). The spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
is pointed in S. exigua but blunt in Copitarsia. Other differences are given by Riley (unpublished). Copitarsia could also be confused with Peridroma saucia; characters to separate the two are in Weisman (1986)Weisman (1986):
Weisman, D. M. 1986. Keys for the identification of some frequently intercepted lepidopterous larvae. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine series 81-47. 64 pp..

In some situations, the ability to recognize Copitarsia eggs can be important, especially on asparagus. Gonzales-Bustamante (2008)Gonzales-Bustamante (2008):
Gonzales-Bustamante. 2008. Guia fotografica: Reconocimiento de posturas de Copitarsia decolora (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). La Molina, Peru.[previously located at: http://www.senasa.gob.pe/RepositorioAPS/0/2/JER/PUBLICACIONES/GUIA%20FOTOGRAFICA-COPITARSIA-2008.pdf]., Angulo and Olivares (2009)Angulo and Olivares (2009):
Angulo A. O. and T. S. Olivares. 2009. La polilla Copitarsia decolora: revision del complejo de especies con base en la morfologia genital masculine y de los huevos (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Revista de Biologia Tropical 58: 769-776., and Andaur-Arenas and Olivares (2009)Andaur-Arenas and Olivares (2009):
Andaur-Arenas, D. and T. S. Olivares. 2009. Ultraestructura de huevos en cinco especies de macrolepidopteros con una clave de los huevos de Copitarsia Hampson (Lepidoptera, Ditrysia). Agrociencia 43: 49-59. have illustrated Copitarsia eggs in enough detail to recognize the genus if there are few other possibilities and the fauna is well documented.

Identification Authority (Detailed)

Copitarsia larvae can be recognized to genus using morphology. In a few cases, host and orgin will allow a tentative species name. As a rule, Copitarsia are more commonly intercepted from Mexico and South America than most of Central America except Guatemala (Pogue 2014Pogue 2014:
Pogue, M. G. 2014. A review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species complex with a description of a new species from Chile and Argentina. Neotropical Entomology. DOI:10.1007/s13744-013-0190-9. 11 pp.). It does not occur in the Old World. Pogue (2014)Pogue (2014):
Pogue, M. G. 2014. A review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species complex with a description of a new species from Chile and Argentina. Neotropical Entomology. DOI:10.1007/s13744-013-0190-9. 11 pp. summarized exact distributions for the economically important species.

Because of misidentifications in the literature, hostplants are of little value (Pogue 2014Pogue 2014:
Pogue, M. G. 2014. A review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species complex with a description of a new species from Chile and Argentina. Neotropical Entomology. DOI:10.1007/s13744-013-0190-9. 11 pp.). Copitarsia decolora is the only species in Mexico and Central America, except for one anomalous record of C. corruda in Mexico (Pogue 2014Pogue 2014:
Pogue, M. G. 2014. A review of the Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species complex with a description of a new species from Chile and Argentina. Neotropical Entomology. DOI:10.1007/s13744-013-0190-9. 11 pp., Pogue and Simmons 2008Pogue and Simmons 2008:
Pogue, M. G. and R. B. Simmons. 2008. A new pest species of Copitarsia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the Neotropical region feeding on Asparagus and cut flowers. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 101: 743-762.). For now it seems accurate to name all Mexican and Central American specimens C. decolora based on origin. However, that could change if further study shows C. corruda is established in the region.

Specimens from Peru on asparagus, if the morphology and coloration fit Pogue and Simmons (2008)Pogue and Simmons (2008):
Pogue, M. G. and R. B. Simmons. 2008. A new pest species of Copitarsia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from the Neotropical region feeding on Asparagus and cut flowers. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 101: 743-762., can be called C. corruda.

Specimens of Copitarsia with segmental abdominal dashes from western South America could be C. incommoda. Other interceptions of Copitarsia on other hosts are best left at genus. The shape of the spinneretspinneret:
a structure from which silk is spun, usually located on the labium of larvae
is helpful, but too many species of Copitarsia have undescribed larvaelarva:
the stages between the egg and pupa of those insects having complete metamorphosis
for species determinations in most of South America.

The genus Copitarsia does not have any widely accepted English common names. The Spanish common name for C. decolora is "gusano del corazon de la col" (Saunders et al. 1983Saunders et al. 1983:
Saunders, J. L., A. B. S. King and C. L. Vargas. 1983. Plagas de cultivos en America Central. Una lista de referencia. Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza. Boletin tecnico 9. 90 pp.). Although widely distributed in Latin America, C. decolora is well known in Mexico. Therefore, we can suggest Mexican cabbage heartworm or Mexican cabbage head caterpillarcaterpillar:
a larva with a conspicuous head, three pairs of thoracic legs, and prolegs; the larva of a butterfly, moth, sawfly, or scorpionfly (= eruciform)
for this species.

Origin records

Copitarsia have been intercepted from the following locations:

Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel*, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands*, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela

Copitarsia do not occur outside of the New World. Thus, interception records from Europe or the Middle East likely represent transshipments or mixing of commodities (usually cut flowers) from South America (denoted with an *).

Host records

Copitarsia have been intercepted on the following hosts:

Abelmoschus esculentus, Achillea millefolium, Achillea sp., Aconitum sp., Agapanthus sp., Ajuga sp., Allium ampeloprasum, Allium cepa, Allium fistulosum, Allium schoenoprasum, Allium sp., Aloe vera, Alstroemeria aurantiaca, Alstroemeria sp., Amaranthus sp., Amaryllis sp., Ammi majus, Ammi sp., Ammi visnaga, Ananas comosus, Anemone sp., Anethum graveolens, Anethum sp., Anigozanthos sp., Anigozanthus sp., Annona cherimola, Anthemis sp., Anthurium sp., Antirrhinum majus, Antirrhinum sp., Apium graveolens, Apium graveolens var. dulce, Apium sp., Arachniodes sp., Artemisia dracunculus, Artemisia sp., Asparagus officinalis, Asparagus sp., Aster sp., Astilbe sp., Basilicum sp., Beta sp., Beta vulgaris var. cicla, Beta vulgaris var. vulgaris, Bouvardia sp., Brassia sp., Brassica chinensis, Brassica napus, Brassica oleracea, Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, Brassica oleracea var. capitata, Brassica oleracea var. italica, Brassica pekinensis, Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis, Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, Brassica rapa var. parachinensis, Brassica sp., Bupleurum sp., Cactaceae, Callistephus chinensis, Callistephus sp., Calluna vulgaris, Campanula cochlearifolia, Campanula sp., Capsicum sp., Carthamus sp., Celosia argentea var. cristata, Celosia sp., Chamaemelum nobile, Chamaemelum sp., Chamomilla sp., Chenopodium album, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Chenopodium berlandieri ssp. nuttalliae, Chenopodium sp., Chrysanthemum sp., Chrysanthemum x morifolium, Cicer arietinum, Cichorium endivia, Cichorium intybus, Citrus aurantiifolia*, Codiaeum sp., Colocasia esculenta, Consolida sp., Coriandrum sativum, Coriandrum sp., Crocosmia sp., Cupressaceae, Cynara scolymus, Dahlia sp., Daucus sp., Delphinium sp., Dendranthema sp., Dendrathema sp., Dianthus barbatus, Dianthus caryophyllus, Dianthus sp., Digitalis sp., Dracaena marginata, Dysphania ambrosioides, Eruca sativa, Eryngium foetidum, Eryngium sp., Eucalyptus sp., Euphorbia sp., Euphorbiaceae, Eustoma sp., Fragaria sp., Freesia sp., Gerbera sp., Gladiolus sp., Glycine max, Godethia sp., Godetia sp., Grevillea sp., Gypsophila elegans, Gypsophila paniculata, Gypsophila sp., Helianthus annuus, Helianthus sp., Helichrysum sp., Heliconia sp., Hippeastrum sp., Hydrangea sp., Hypericum sp., Iris sp., Lactuca sativa, Lactuca sp., Lathyrus odoratus, Laurus sp., Leucadendron sp., Leucaena sp., Liatris sp., Liatris spicata, Lilium sp., Limonium sinuatum, Limonium sp., Lippia sp., Lisianthus sp., Lysimachia sp., Majorana sp., Malus domestica, Marjorana hortensis, Mathiola sp., Matthiola incana, Matthiola sp., Mentha arvensis, Mentha piperita, Mentha sp., Minthostachys sp., Moluccella laevis, Moluccella sp., Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum sp., Opuntia sp., Origanum majorana, Origanum sp., Origanum vulgare, Ornithogalum sp., Paeonia sp., Persea americana*, Petroselinum crispum, Petroselinum sp., Phaseolus sp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Philodendron sp., Phlox sp., Physalis ixocarpa, Physalis philadelphica, Physalis pubescens, Physalis sp., Pinus sp.*, Pisum sativum, Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon, Pisum sp., Poeaceae*, Polianthes sp., Polianthes tuberosa, Porophyllum sp., Portulaca oleracea, Portulaca sp., Protea sp., Prunus armeniaca*, Prunus domestica*, Prunus persica*, Prunus persica var. nucipersica*, Pyrus pyrifolia*, Ranunculus sp., Raphanus sativus, Raphanus sp., Rosa sp., Rosmarinus officinalis, Rubus idaeus, Rubus sp., Ruscus sp., Salvia officinalis, Salvia sp., Sechium edule, Solanum melongena, Solanum sp., Solidago canadensis, Solidago sp., Solidaster sp., Spinacia oleracea, Statice sp., Strelitzia sp., Suaeda sp., Tagetes sp., Thymelaea hirsuta, Thymus sp., Thymus vulgaris, Trachelium sp., Tulipa sp., Vaccinium sp., Veronica sp., Vicia faba, Vigna sp., Zantedeschia aethiopica, Zantedeschia sp., Zea mays

Records from citrus, avocado, grasses, tree fruits, and pine need confirmation (denoted with an *).