In this section:
Lesser Budworm
New and Unusual occurrence of Lesser Budworm on 28th - 30th August 2005
Large swarms of Lesser Budworm havebeen reported from Ceduna to the Murray lands, including metropolitan Adelaide.These photos have been posted to help distinguish between Lesser Budworm (Heliothis punctifera) and the more important agronomic pest species Native Budworm (Helicoverpa punctigera)
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Lesser Budworm
Heliothis punctifera |
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Native Budworm
Helicoverpa punctigera |
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Lesser Budworm on the Left, Native Budworm on the Right. |
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Lesser Budworm on the Left, Native Budworm on the Right. |
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Lesser Budworm on the Left, Native Budworm on the Right. |
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| Lesser Budworm eggs on Vetch leaves. |  |
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Single egg magnified on the right (showing vertical grooves) |
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Caterpillars of the lesser budworm are very much like the native budworm and can only be distinguished in the later instars i.e. >15mm.
From our limited experience this season with lesser budworm the upper bodyhairs are generally white in older caterpillars. Colour of the caterpillars in the field are generally dark but we have found the colour is variable in the laboratory. All have a white stripe along each side of the body.
Young caterpillars are generally black and very active when caught in sweepnets!
| Caterpillar reared on media in the laboratory (note white hairs) |
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| Caterpillars on wheat |  |
| Close up of caterpillar reared in the laboratory |  |
| Caterpillars on field peas |  |
For native budworm the hairs on the collar (segment behind the head) of the caterpillar are black, body hairs on the older caterpillar are also black or blackish brown. These caterpillars also havea broad white stripe along each side of the body.
| Picture taken with preserved caterpillar |  |
