Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval 1833

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval)
Figs. 163, 263-267, 326, 356, 388, 420, 452, 498-500, 537
Hadena littoralis Boisduval 1833: 91.
Hadena retina Freyer 1845: 161, plate 478, figs. 2,3; Walker 1856: 192.
Prodenia testaceoides Guenee in Boisduval & Guenee 1852a: 165, plate 6, fig. 7; Viette 1951: 160; Walker 1856: 195.
Prodenia littoralis: Mabille 1879: 320; Cotes & Swinhoe 1888: 325 ; Swinhoe 1890: 227; Hampson 1894: 247.
Spodoptera littoralis; Viette 1963: 147; Brown & Dewhurst 1975: 256; Goater 1983: 277; Poole 1989: 924.
Diagnosis. — Color and pattern almost indistinguishable from S. litura. Hindwing with apices of veins white. Male genitalia with juxta quadrate; ampulla more robust than in S. litura (compare Figs. 356 and 357); dorsal lobes of coremata much shorter than ventral lobes (Fig. 356). Female genitalia with distal margin of ventral plate of ostium bursa straight (Fig. 452); ductus bursae shorter than S. litura (compare Figs. 420 and 421).
Description. Adult Male. — Head: Basal segment of labial palpus cream with median patch variably mixed with black and rufous scales; median segment cream with black median band variably mixed with rufous scales; apical segment black, apex cream. Frons with short scales cream; long scales brown and cream; lateral spots at eye margin brown to black; vertex cream and brown. Antenna filiform; scape cream to light brown; flagellum cream.
Thorax: Patagium light brown to brown flecked with black, median transverse band white, apical margin white. Tegula light brown and white (black scales at caudomedial apex). Mesothorax with light brown and brown scales,
some tipped white. Underside of thorax white. Prothoracic femur fuscous and cream; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, cream and fuscous, subapical spot black; tarsal segments cream. Mesothoracic femur fuscous and cream; tibia fuscous and cream, inner spur less than twice length of outer spur, mediolateral surface broadly devoid of scales on both spurs; tarsal segments 1-4 fuscous with cream apical rings, segment 5 cream. Metathoracic femur cream and fuscous; tibia cream, rufous, and fuscous; tarsal segments 1-4 cream with bases fuscous, segment 5 cream.
Foreioing: Length, 12-16 mm; ground color brown; basal line absent; longitudinal black dash at base absent; R vein from base to reniform spot gray; basal triangular scale patch between R and Cu veins brown bordered by white; basal half circle scale patch below Cu vein light brown bordered by black; antemedial line black, indistinct; claviform spot absent; basal scale patch small, gray, from midway between M and anal veins to anal vein; gray patch covering anal cell and half of cell CuA2 absent; oblique brown mark from fifth outer marginal spot to vein CuA2 absent; curved white line from antemedial line to postmedial line absent; orbicular spot an oblique trapezoid, cream, with a light brown center bordered by light brown to black; reniform spot brown outlined in white on proximal border, distal apex is a triangular light brown spot outlined in white, a white distal border extending to middle; white scales along Cu vein from orbicular spot to junction of veins M3 and CuAl which extend down veins M3, CuAl, and CuA2 to postmedial line; postmedial line indistinct, black variably bordered by white from middle to posterior margin; postmedian band pale gray and with an elliptical brown spot along subterminal line; black scale patches in middle of cells M2 to CuAl in postmedian area; subterminal line a light brown band bordered by white; apex with a few white scales, no distinct patch; dark gray spindleshaped spots along outer margin; fringe gray. Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin with black crescent-shaped spots; reniform spot gray.
Hindwing: Ground color white; apex, outer margin to vein CuA2, and distal ends of veins Rs to CuA2 with light brown scales; fringe white. Underside ground color white; costal cells C and Sc cream speckled with pale gray scales; outer
margin with a few faint gray spots in middle of cells Sc to CuAl; no spot on underside.
Abdomen: Dorsum pale gray; venter cream to pale gray; disto-lateral black spots on sternites (can be indistinct to absent); 8th tergite with spiculate patches present on caudal margin.
Genitalia: Uncus evenly curved; slender, gradually narrowing toward pointed apex; setae absent or few. Scaphium elongate, weakly developed. Tegumen lacking a pair of projecting arms on upper third. Costa straight (Figs. 326, 356). Costal process narrow, elongate; at base of costa on inner edge; perpendicular to costa of valve. Cucullus apex truncate; not produced. Anellifer with lightly sclerotized plate bearing setae present. Ampulla elongate, slightly curved with a decurved apex; extends beyond apex of valve (Figs. 326, 356). Clasper proper absent. Clavus a minute round projection. Sacculus widest at one-fourth its length, tapering distally; apex pointed. Valvula wider than valve; well differentiated from valve, apex free; apex truncate; indentation large, ventral margin round. Coremata elongate, more than 0.5 length of valve; in form of a double lobe. Juxta a broad rectangular band with ventrolateral projections, median process not constricted, ventral margin concave. Anellus membranous. Vinculum U-shaped with parallel arms and a robust base. Aedoeagus straight; coecum smaller in diameter than shaft; patch of spines absent on apex of membranous sheath surrounding aedoeagus. Vesica curving ventrally; short, less than 0.75 length of aedoeagus; apicobasal cornutal patch a wide ribbon; length moderate, extending to before middle of vesica; cornuti in form of minute flat granules; lateral cornutal patch an elongate elliptical area; a mixture of small spines distally and large spines apically; dense cornutal patch subapical on vesica; distal cornutus a bulbous elliptical plate, apex pointed.
Adult Female. — Essentially as described for male except:
Forewing: Length, 13-16 mm. Longitudinal black dash at base absent; R vein not a contrasting color; gray patch covering anal cell and half of cell CuA2 absent; curved white line from antemedial line to postmedial line absent; orbicular spot an oblique trapezoid, cream, with a gray center, bordered by thin black line distally; reniform spot more gray with a light brown to gray apical spot outlined in white; postmedian band less distinct and tends to be more brown; black scale patches
in middle of cells R4 to CuA2, patch in R4 basal to other patches, patch in R5 consisting of only a few scales in postmedian area.
Abdomen: Fine dense scales on 8th segment cream.
Genitalia: Ventral plate of ostium bursa with height greater than width; distal margin straight; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite absent. Ductus bursae short (length less than twice width); completely sclerotized. Appendix bursae membranous. Corpus bursae bulbous, length less than twice width; striate convolutions. Signum in apical half of corpus bursae; short, length less than 0.65 mm; forming greater than a 45 degree angle to vertical axis of corpus bursae.
Larva. — See description, p. 110.
Type material. — Hadena Httoralis Boisduval. The type material was not located during this study and is considered lost. The neotype 8 [USNM, here designated] is labeled: Uganda; Ankole; Kichwamba; IV-23-29-68; P. J. Spangler. Genitalia Slide; By MGP 6; USNM 46193. SPOD 0216. The neotype is designated and labeled to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 263. Type locality: Kichwamba, Ankole, Uganda.
Hadena retina Freyer. The type repository is unknown. Type locality: Crete, Greece.
Prodenia testaceoides Guenee. The lectotype 8 is deposited in the MNHP, designated by Viette 1951: 160. Type locality: Mauritius.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following countries: Algeria, Angola, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Comoro Islands, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, He Maurice, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Principe Island, Reunion, Sao Tome Island, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St. Helena, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe.
Distribution (Fig. 537). — This species ranges from southern Europe and Africa east to the Middle East and western Asia including the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. It is also found in the Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, and Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean (Brown & Dewhurst 1975).

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval)
Figs. 163, 498-500
Diagnosis. — Characters useful for identification include the serrate edge of the mandible, P2 setae farther apart than PI setae, absence of dorsolateral stripe on the pronotum, and metathorax with a dorsolateral mark. This species could be confused with S. exigna, especially in the early instars, but in S. exigna the dorsolateral stripe is present on the pronotum and the metathorax lacks dorsolateral spots. Larvae of S. littoralis are either light or dark brown, in S. exigna they can be brown or green (Brown & Dewhurst 1975). Spodoptera littoralis is larger than S. exigna. Spodoptera litnra can be distinguished from S. littoralis by the prominent lateral spots present from the mesothorax to the eighth abdominal segment.
Description of preserved specimens. — Head: Color brown; reticulate; frons brown; cutting
edge of mandible serrate; P2 setae farther apart than PI setae; ratio ecdysial line: frons height, averages between 0.63-0.84. Thorax: Pronotum with dorsolateral stripe absent or inconspicuous, consisting of only a few faded spots at margins; middorsal stripe narrower than dorsolateral stripe. Mesothorax segmental spot rectangular to semicircular; with lateral dark spot present (indistinct). Metathorax with segmental spot round; white spot at base of segmental spot; lateral dark spot absent. Abdomen: Body smooth; setal pinacula minute. Middorsal stripe inconspicuous, narrower than dorsolateral stripe. Segmental spots on abdominal segments 7 and 8 larger than on 1-6; wide on segments 1 and 8, almost extending to middorsal stripe; a white spot mid-basally in segmental spot (segmental spots can be reduced to a dark line, but spot is still present); on 8th abdominal segment spot is subequal in size to that on mesothorax. Segment 1 with lateral dark spot absent. Segments 2-6 with lateral dark spots in spiracular band absent. Spiracular band reticulate; segments 1-6 in spiracular band with white or light colored spot caudal to spiracle present (indistinct). Spiracles with black border and brown center; not stalked. Subspiracular stripe continuous through abdominal segment 1. Crochets uniordinal; total number on one side of body greater than 107.
Color description. — Head black; adfrontal and coronal sutures yellow. Ground color purplish black. Segmental triangular spots black. Venter pale. Thoracic legs black (Sevastopulo 1939a).
Plant hosts. — S. littoralis is a polyphagous species recorded from 130 species in 56 families of host plants. It is one of the most agriculturally important species over its range. Many plants it attacks are of major economic importance such as taro, cabbage, beet, castor oil plant, peanut, soybean, green gram, rice, cotton, corn, tomato, and tobacco.