Chrysodeixis acuta

Chrysodeixis acuta (Fabricius, 1775)
Tomato Looper
(one synonym : Plusia diminuta Walker, 1865)
PLUSIINAE , NOCTUIDAE

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

(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville)

These caterpillars are green or brown. They have some ventral prolegs missing, and move in a looper fashion. The caterpillars are pests, feeding on a wide variety of plants, including:

Soybeans ( Glycine max, FABACEAE ),

Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum, LINACEAE ),

Barley ( Hordeum vulgare, POACEAE ),

Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor, POACEAE ), and

Tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum, SOLANACEAE ).

The adult moth has brown forewings, each with two white spots near the middle. The hindwings are plain brown. There is a greyish streak near the apex of each forewing which is more marked than in the similar species Chrysodeixis erisoma. Also the hair tuft on the tail of the male is brown, whereas it is reddish in Chrysodeixis erisoma. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

Some semiochemicals of this species have been determined.

This species occurs across Europe, Africa and Asia, including:

Ethiopia,

India,

Namibia,

United Kingdom,
and in Australia in:

New South Wales,

Queensland, and

Tasmania.