Heliothis punctifera

Heliothis punctifera Walker, 1857
Lesser Budworm
(one synonym : Neocleptria grisescens)
HELIOTHINAE , NOCTUIDAE

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

(updated 8 August 2011)

(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda)

The Caterpillar of this species is usually dark with a pale stripe along each side. It has pale hairs behind the head, which distinguish it from similar species. The caterpillar is an agricultural pest on many crops, including :

Lucerne ( Medicago sativa, FABACEAE ),

Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum, MALVACEAE ), and

Wheat ( Triticum aestivum, POACEAE ),

as well as plants from the families:

ASTERACEAE,

CHENOPODIACEAE,

EUPHORBIACEAE, and

SOLANACEAE,

but curiously, will not attack:

Boerhavia diffusa ( NYCTAGINACEAE ), or

Tribulus terrestris ( ZYGOPHYLLACEAE ).

The adult moths have brown forewings with a bold distinctive pattern, and dark hindwings fading to white at the base.

adult moth: underside
(Photo: courtesy of Ted Cadwallader)

The undersides show a large dark comma-shaped mark under each forewing. The moths have a wingspan of about 3 cms.

The moths can occur in huge numbers, and migrate from one part of the country to another. In November 2005, the moths caused a panic at Murray Downs Golf Club . Swarms of them invaded the course, and the clubhouse was totally inundated for 24 hours or so by the moths. They were an absolute plague. The walls, ceiling and floor of the clubhouse was quite literally covered with resting moths. The clubhouse had to be closed for a while to eradicated them. The air on the course was also "thick" with them at the time. They were a 24 hour wonder. They had gone within a day.

The species occurs throughout most of mainland Australia, including

Victoria, and

Note that this is a different species from Helicoverpa punctigera.