Helicoverpa punctigera

Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren, 1860)
(one synonym : Heliothis punctiger)
Native Budworm
HELIOTHINAE , NOCTUIDAE

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

Helicoverpa punctigera
(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

This Caterpillar is an agricultural pest feeding on the foliage of many crops and garden flowers, including :

Sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus, ASTERACEAE ),

Canola ( Brassica napus, BRASSICACEAE ),

Pinks ( Dianthus species, CARYOPHYLLACEAE ),

Lucerne ( Medicago sativa, FABACEAE ),

Flax ( Linum usatissimum, LINACEAE ),

Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum, MALVACEAE ),

Snapdragons ( Antirrhinum majus, PLANTAGINACEAE ),

Maize ( Zea mays, POACEAE ),

Cherry ( Prunus avium, ROSACEAE ), and

Tomatoes ( Lycopersicum esculentum, SOLANACEAE ).

However, it does not seem to develop resistance to insecticides like its cousin Helicoverpa armigera does.

This Caterpillar is initially pale green, often with black dots and a pattern of thin dark lines running along the body, the lines are darker around the second and third segments.

(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

In later instars , dark lines become less conspicuous, and the black spots develop red areas around them. The Caterpillar has a characteristic posture when disturbed: it lifts its head and curls it under the front of the body. If even more disturbed, it lets go and drops, rolling into a spiral.

When fully grown (4 cms.) it pupates in a cocoon under the soil. After about three weeks the adult emerges.

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The adult moth has brown forewings with a delicate darker tracery. The hind wings are buff with a dark border.

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, it has dark subterminal bands on each wing, and a black comma and a black dot on each fore wing. The moth has a wingspan of about 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

The adult moths look very similar to those of the related species in the same genus : Helicoverpa armigera. However, for Helicoverpa punctigera

the Caterpillars have black hairs on the prothorax,

the Caterpillars have dark triangles on the first abdominal segment, and

the moths have no pale mark in the black border of the hind wing.

The moth migrates over large areas of the country, and is found, for example, in:

Northern Territory,

Queensland,

New South Wales,

Australian Capital Territory,

Victoria,

Tasmania,

South Australia, and

Western Australia.

The migrations makes control difficult. The chemical identities of the sex attractant compounds for this moth (pheromones) have been elucidated. Attempts to control the species include :

Integrated Pest Management techniques, and

proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Note that this is a different species from Heliothis punctifera.