Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Egyptian cotton leafworm, Mediterranean brocade
beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua
cotton cutworm, Spodoptera litura
fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania
For definitive identification, it is necessary to dissect adult male internal parts.
United States: not known to be established in North America but has been intercepted at U.S. ports.
Worldwide: Africa, Asia, and southern Europe.
Native to Africa and Israel.
All Citrus species and their hybrids.
Non-citrus hosts
Wide host rangehost range:
the range of species that a particular organism can feed on to achieve successful growth and reproduction
. Known to feed on 87 host planthost plant:
the plant the provides sustenance for an insect
species of economical importance including:
Plant development can be disrupted due to feeding on plant growth points.
Larvae can bore into fruits.
Infestation usually results in defoliation. Larvae skeletonize the leaves.
Mature larvae usually hide underground during the day and feed above ground at night. In soft soil, larvae can continue to feed on the host planthost plant:
the plant the provides sustenance for an insect
roots during the day.
A female lays 1000 - 2000 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs are laid on the lower leaf surface of host plants and are covered with scales from the female's abdomenabdomen:
one of the three body segments in insects; the most posterior segment containing the heart, reproductive organs, and digestive organs
. Eggs hatch in 2 - 5 days. Larvae feed on all parts of the plant and will sometimes hide underground during the day and feed at night. Larvae drop to the ground and pupate in the soil in an earthen cocooncocoon:
the protective covering around the pupa of some insects
.
The larvae of these moths can be transported on host plants and have been found in greenhouses as far north as Sweden. These pests are usually intercepted when traveling between countries.
In Egypt, there are 7 overlapping generations per year.
(CABI/EPPO) European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International. 1997. Quarantine pests for Europe, 2nd Ed. CAB International. Wallingford, UK
Espinosa, A. and A.C. Hodges. 2009. Spodoptera littoralis. Bugwood Wiki fact sheet. (http://wiki.bugwood.org/Spodoptera_litura).
Pierce, C.M.F. 2009. Egyptian Cotton Leafworm. Indiana Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey System. (http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/caps/pestInfo/egyptLeafworm.htm).
Weeks, J.A., A.C. Hodges, and N.C. Leppla
Egyptian cottonworm larva; photo by Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft Archive, www.bugwood.org
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Egyptian cottonworm adult; photo by O. Heikinheimo, www.bugwood.org
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Egyptian cottonworm adult; photo by Bernard Fransen, www.bugwood.org
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Egyptian cottonworm egg mass; photo by O. Heikinheimo, www.bugwood.org
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