Beet armyworm / Spodoptera exigua

The list of forage plants includes 185 species from 50 families. It feeds on cotton, alfalfa, sugar beet, corn, tobacco, peanuts, sesame, soy, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, turnips, eggplants, watermelons, clover, sainfoin, young citrus, apple, quince, grapes, oak plantings, elms, yellow acacia, chrysanthemums, tea.

Imago. Butterfly flight is observed from May to the end of October.

Mating period. Females start laying eggs 1-3 days after the flight. Fecundity varies from 300 to 1700 eggs, sometimes more than 2000. First - generation butterflies are the most prolific. Eggs are laid in three or four piles, up to 250 pieces each. Place the females in a pile on the underside of the leaves.

Egg. The embryo develops from 2 to 10 days. The duration of development depends on the ambient temperature.

Larva (caterpillar). After hatching, the caterpillars immediately start feeding. First they skeletonize the leaves, later they make holes in them. The development of caterpillars lasts 14-28 days. Young caterpillars concentrate on weeds, older ones switch to cultivated plants.

Pupa. The caterpillars pupate in the soil at a depth of 3-5 cm. Pupal development lasts from 7 to 28 days.

Features of development. In the southern part of Europe, 2-3 generations develop during the growing season, in Central Asia – up to 6-7, in subtropical and tropical climates – up to 10 generations per year.

Proper use of Pheromone Traps:

The pheromone trap is designed to monitor and reduce pest numbers. In order to determine the population density of pest insects and to identify pest outbreaks (monitoring), it is recommended to use 1 trap per 1 ha.

The trap should be placed in the crown of the tree at a height of 1.5-2 m.  Prior to the first flight of the butterflies, the traps must be checked on a daily basis, and after the first butterflies have been captured, the traps must be checked every 5-7 days. Pheromone dispensers and adhesive tapes can be replaced as needed. Protective measures are based on the results of the monitoring of population density of pest insects.

Trap placement:

For mass capture and sterilization of males, it is recommended to have more than 20 traps per hectare. In case of a large number of pest insects use 30 traps per 1 ha.