Cutworm

Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)
Figs. 74, 87, 100, 129, 143, 158-159, 268-277, 327, 357, 389, 421, 453, 501-503, 537
Noctua litura Fabricius 1775: 601; Aurivillius 1897: 162.
Noctua histrionica Fabricius 1775: 612.
Noctua elata Fabricius 1781: 220.
Prodenia tasmanica Guenee in Boisduval & Guenee
1852a: 163; Walker 1856: 198. Prodenia ciligera Guenee in Boisduval & Guenee 1852a:
164; Walker 1856: 196. Prodenia subterminalis Walker 1856: 196. Prodenia glaucistriga Walker 1856: 197 Prodenia declinata Walker 1857b: 723. Mamestra albisparsa Walker 1862: 186. Prodenia evanescens Butler 1884: 94. Prodenia litura; Chen et al. 1991: 230; Warren in Seitz
1914b: 320. Spodoptera litura; Viette 1963: 147; Holloway 1976: 12;
Barlow 1982: 86; Sugi 1982: 764; Goater 1983: 278;
Holloway 1989: 136; Poole 1989: 924; Edwards 1996:
324; Kononenko et al. 1998: 233.
Diagnosis. — Color and pattern almost indistinguishable from S. Httoralis. Hindwing of S. litura with apices of veins brown. Male genitalia with juxta triangulate; base of ampulla narrower, than in S. Httoralis (compare Figs. 356 and 357); dorsal lobes of coremata almost as long as ventral lobes
ventral plate of ostium bursa a broad V-shaped notch (Fig. 453); ductus bursae longer than S. Httoralis (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 and brown; flagellum cream and brown.
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 light brown. Underside of thorax white. Prothoracic femur fuscous and cream; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, cream (can have fuscous scales present), subapical spot black; tarsal segments cream. Mesothoracic femur cream (mediolateral subapical patch fuscous); tibia fuscous and cream, inner spur more than twice length of outer spur, mediolateral surface broadly devoid of scales on both spurs; tarsal segments 1^ fuscous with cream apical rings, segment 5 cream. Metathoracic femur cream and rufous; tibia cream and rufous; tarsal segments 1—4 cream with bases fuscous, segment 5 cream.
Forezving: Length, 14-17 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 gray from costa to posterior margin (indistinct above Cu 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 spindle-shaped spots along outer margin; fringe gray. Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin with black crescent-shaped spots; reniform spot gray.
Hindiving: Ground color white; apex, outer margin, and veins with light brown scales; fringe white. Underside ground color white; costal cells C and Sc cream speckled with rufous and 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 to gray; venter cream (rufous scales can be present); disto-lateral black spots on sternites absent (can have a few remnant scales on some specimens); 8th tergite with spiculate patches present on caudal margin.
Genitalia: Uncus curved in apical half; 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 slightly bent at middle
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; extending to just below apex of valve (Figs. 327, 357). Clasper proper absent. Clavus a minute round projection. Sacculus widest at one-fourth its length, tapering distally; apex truncate. 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 narrow rectangular band, median process narrow at base and elongate, ventral margin narrowly 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, 15-18 mm. Longitudinal black dash at base 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; 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 with a broad V-shaped notch; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite absent. Ductus bursae elongate (length greater than 3 times 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; almost vertical.
Larva. — See description, p. 111.
Type material. — Noctua litura Fabricius. The type is presumed lost (Zimsen 1964). The neotype 8 [USNM, here designated] is labeled: Indien WB 1800m; Darjeeling Mangpu-road; ll-VII-1986; leg. W. Thomas. SPOD 0360. The neotype is designated and labeled to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 269. Type locality: Darjeeling Mangpu road, India.
Noctua histrionica Fabricius. The type is presumed lost (Zimsen 1964). Type locality: India.
Noctua elata Fabricius. The type is presumed lost (Zimsen 1964). Type locality: Tranquebariae, India.
Prodenia tasmanica Guenee. The type repository is unknown. Type locality: Tasmania, Australia.
Prodenia ciligera Guenee. The lectotype 8 [BMNH, here designated] is labeled: [No locality label] 60.15, EIC; Prod, ciligera; Noc. gen. Slide No. 3497 8. The lectotype is designated to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 274. Type locality: Java, Indonesia. The following syntype becomes a paralectotype: Label data: 60.15, EIC; Prod, ciligera.
Prodenia subterminalis Walker. The lectotype 9 [BMNH] is labeled: Lectotype, Punjab, Hearsay,
54-74; Noc. gen. Slide No. 3498 ?. Walker (1856: 196) described subterminalis from two specimens of unknown sex, one from Punjab, and the other from Northern] India. Hampson (1909: 247) listed "1 9 type subterminlais" from his list of specimens from Punjab. This can be inferred as a lectotype designation and this specimen is the one mentioned above and is illustrated in Fig. 277.
Prodenia glaucistriga Walker. The lectotype 8 [BMNH, here designated] is labeled: N. India, Noc. gen. Slide No. 3486 8 . The lectotype is designated to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 276. Type locality: N. India. The following syntype becomes a paralectotype: 8 , Label data: Canara, S. N. Ward, 50-26.
Prodenia declinata Walker. The holotype 8 (Fig. 273) [BMNH] is labeled: Holotype, N. India, 4310; Noc. gen. Slide No. 3499 8 . Type locality: N. India.
Mamestra albisparsa Walker. The type(s) are deposited in University Museum, Oxford University, Oxford. Type locality: Borneo, Sarawak, Indonesia.
Prodenia evanescens Butler. The lectotype 9 [BMNH, here designated] is labeled: S. Pacific, Caroline Is., E. G. Holden, 84-2; Prodenia, evanescens, type Butler; Noc. gen. Slide No. 3500 9 . The lectotype is designated to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 275. Type locality: Caroline Is., Federated States of Micronesia. The following syntype becomes a paralectotype: Label data: S. Pacific, Caroline Is., E. G. Holden, 84-2; Caroline Isl., 84-2.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following countries: American Samoa, Australia, Burma, China, Chirstmas Island, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Line Islands, Malaysia, Maldive Islands, Marshall Islands, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Island, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, United States (Hawaii), Vanuatu, Western Samoa.
Distribution (Fig. 537). — Spodoptera litura is distributed further east than S. littoralis. Care must be taken when examining specimens from western Asia as S. litura reaches Afghanistan, northwestern India, and Pakistan. From western
Asia, S. litura ranges eastward to Korea, China, and Japan, southward throughout the Australasian area, and is widely distributed across the Pacific to Hawaii.

Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)
Figs. 158-159, 501-503
Diagnosis. — Spodoptera litura can be differentiated from S. mauritia by the serrate edge of the mandible in S. litura. This species can be separated from S. exigua because S. litura has dorsolateral marks on the mesoand metathorax, a smaller number of crochets on the prolegs, and the ratio of the ecdysial line versus frons height averages between 0.63-0.84.
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 conspicuous, either solid or consisting of closely spaced spots and dashes; middorsal stripe subequal to dorsolateral stripe. Mesothorax segmental spot semicircular to rectangular; with lateral dark spot present. Metathorax with segmental spot semicircular; white spot at base of segmental spot; lateral dark spot present. 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 (variable, can be almost uniform in size on some specimens); wide on segments 1-6, almost extending to middorsal stripe (can be faint); with a distinct white spot near apex; spot on 8th abdominal segment larger than on mesothorax. Segment 1 with lateral dark spot present. Segments 2-6 with lateral dark spots in spiracular band present. Spiracular band reticulate; segments 1-6 in spiracular band with white or light colored spot caudal to spiracle present. 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 (range: 116-141; average: 127.3; n=10).
Color description. — Head dark brown to black, pale brown on vertex and with pale marks laterally; frons dark brown to black; adfrons white. Pronotal shield black with pale speckling. Ground color dark grayish to blackish with pale speckling. Middorsal stripe yellow. Segmental spots black. Dorsolateral stripe yellow. Subspiracular stripe dull yellow. Spiracles black. Venter dull green. Thoracic legs black. Proleg shields black (Fletcher 1914; Gardner 1941).
Plant hosts. — Spodoptera litura is the most polyphagous species of Spodoptera with 151 species in 51 families of recorded host plants. Like S. Httoralis, this species is not confined to a few families, and both have similar hosts plants. Agriculturally important crops attacked include cotton, rice, green gram, corn, cabbage, beet, peanut, soybean, castor oil plant, tomato, and tobacco.