Spodoptera litura

TaxID: 69820

Basic Information

Spodoptera litura

Asian Cotton Leafworm, Cotton Worm

Spodoptera litura, otherwise known as the tobacco cutworm or cotton leafworm, is a nocturnal moth in the family Noctuidae. S. litura is a serious polyphagous pest in Asia, Oceania, and the Indian subcontinent that was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. Its common names reference two of the most frequent host plants of the moth. In total, 87 species of host plants that are infested by S. litura are of economic importance. The species parasitize the plants as larvae through vigorous eating patterns, oftentimes leaving the leaves completely destroyed. The moth destroys economically important agricultural crops and decreases yield in some plants completely. Their potential impact on the many different cultivated crops, and subsequently the local agricultural economy, has led to serious efforts to control the pests. S. litura is often confused with its close relative, Spodoptera littoralis. These two species are hard to discriminate between because the larvae and adult forms are identical. Inspecting the genitalia is the most certain way to tell the two species apart.

from Wikipedia

Taxonomic Information

Metazoa

Arthropoda

Insecta

Lepidoptera

Noctuidae

Spodoptera

litura

unclassified

Photos (5 photos)

Spodoptera litura
c
(c) Tristak87@BY-NC
Spodoptera litura
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(c) Lyn Craggs@BY-NC
Spodoptera litura
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(c) Bridgette Gower@BY-NC
Spodoptera litura
c
(c) Bridgette Gower@BY-NC
Spodoptera litura
c
(c) Craig Williams@BY-NC

Morphological Features

Adults are 15–20 mm in body length. Forewings are greyish-brown to reddish-brown with complex markings and wavy transverse lines; hindwings are white, semi-transparent with brown margins. Eggs are laid in masses covered with hairs from the female's abdomen, initially light green and turning dark before hatching. Larvae have six instars; newly hatched larvae are pale green, while mature larvae vary in color (dark grey, dark green to blackish-brown) with dark spots forming longitudinal bands dorsally and laterally; body segments bear distinct tubercles. Pupae are reddish-brown, about 15–20 mm long, with two short spines on the cremaster, and usually form an earthen cell in soil.

Source: EPPO Global Database Life Stage: Adult / Egg / Larva / Pupa Source Type: Diagnostic reference
Citation:

EPPO (2023). Spodoptera litura datasheet. EPPO Global Database.

Host Plants (45 host plants)

Data sources: EPPO Global Database and relevant literature.

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Quarantine Status (68 records)

Data sources: IPPC website and national quarantine websites; verified by human review.

Country Status Year Added
Albania Quarantine pests —
Argentina A1 list 2019
Armenia Absent —
Austria Quarantine pests 2019
Azerbaijan Absent 2024
Belgium Unknow 2019
Bulgaria Quarantine pests 2019
Bahrain Quarantine pests 2003
Belarus Absent 1994
Brazil A1 list 2018
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Distribution (71 countries)

Data Sources: EPPO Global Database and GBIF.

62
Present
9
Absent
0
Unknown/Other
Country Status State
Afghanistan Present —
United Arab Emirates Present —
American Samoa Present —
Australia Present
Australia Absent
Bangladesh Present —
Brunei Darussalam Present —
Bhutan Present —
Cambodia Present —
Cocos Islands Present —
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Distribution Map (Latitude and longitude coordinates sourced from GBIF.)

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Genomes (2 records)

Data source: NCBI.

Assembly Accession Assembly Level Genome Size(Mb) Contig N50(Kb) Scaffold N50(Kb) BUSCO% Downloads Actions
GCF_002706865.2 Chromosome - - - - -
GCA_002706865.1 Chromosome 438 68 915 -

Transcriptomes (3 records)

Data source: NCBI.

Run ID Tissue Developmental Stage Sex Read Count Location Actions
SRR32584762 whole body - - 23720227 China:Jiangxi
SRR32584761 whole body - - 24483037 China:Jiangxi
SRR32584760 whole body - - 23106911 China:Jiangxi

DNA Barcodes (0 records)

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Data source: BOLD.

No DNA barcode records available.

Literature