Persectania ewingii

Persectania ewingii (Westwood, 1839)
(one synonym : Noctua evingi)
Southern Armyworm
HADENINAE , NOCTUIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Persectania ewingii
(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

This Caterpillar can vary in colour from buff, or greeny brown to dark grey, and has a broad dark stripe down the back and a lighter stripe each side. The central dark stripe divides into two narrow brown lines on the anal segment and on the head capsule. It is very similar to the Caterpillar of Mythimna convecta, although the adults are quite different.

It is an agricultural pest, causing damage to pastures and crops, such as

Barley ( Hordeum species, POACEAE ),

Garden Peas ( Pisum sativum, FABACEAE ), and

Flax ( Linum usatissimum, LINACEAE ).

It causes special damage by chewing through the stems, severing the seedheads.

(Photo: courtesy of Ken Harris, Morwell Park, Victoria)

In August 1980 near Narrandera in New South Wales, the caterpillars were very abundant in the local pastures. Four weeks later the adults were present in such numbers that they invaded houses, causing some inhabitants to evacuate, and leaving the walls coated with wing scales. They even invaded Melbourne at the same time along with Bogong Moths. The two species entered homes and cars and were a nuisance generally.

(Photo: courtesy of Ken Harris, Morwell Park, Victoria)

The adult moth has fawn fore wings streaked with white, giving them a silky appearance The hind wings are buff, darkening to the margin, with dark veins. It has a wingspan of about 4 cms.

(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The species occurs mostly in the south and east of Australia, but has been found in:

Northern Territory,

South Australia,

Victoria,

Australian Capital Territory,

Western Australia,
and often migrates across the Bass Strait to

Tasmania, and even

Macquarie Island.