Banded Sunflower Moth: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Cochylis Hospes

Appearances: Cochylis Hospes Walsingham, the banded sunflower moth, is a little (1/4 inch long) tan moth with a wingspan of about 1/2 inch. Its forewings contain a dark brown triangular stripe that runs through the middle of the wing. The triangle’s apex is aligned with the leading edge of the wing. Near the wing tips, there is a smaller, less well-defined brown patch. The hind wing is light gray-brown in colour and lacks any distinguishing marks.

Host Plants: Moths. Sunflower plants, as well as insects and weevils, are eaten by moths.

Territory: From Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada’s Prairie Provinces to Texas, and from the Dakotas and Colorado to New Jersey and North Carolina, the banded sunflower moth has been discovered. The banded sunflower moth is most likely found in the eastern United States where wild sunflowers grow.

Damage Caused: Larvae that feed on florets may inhibit pollination and diminish the amount of seeds produced by the sunflower head. When the larvae reach the third instar, they begin to feed on seeds, devouring the entire kernel in most cases. After digesting the kernel, the larva usually enters at the top of the seed and exits through the same puncture. In addition to the early feeding that reduces seed quantity, each larva swallows the kernels of six to seven seeds. Banded sunflower moth larvae eating in the seeds leave little regions of silken webbing on mature sunflower heads.

Life Cycle and habits: In North Dakota and the higher Great Plains, banded sunflower moths have only one generation. In the southern regions, more than one generation is feasible. Adults appear in the field in mid-July and stay until mid-August. Individual moths live for seven to ten days, however due to the extended emergence time, moths are present for roughly eight weeks each season. Although some moths rest in the sunflower field during the day, many are spotted along field edges in vegetation (particularly broadleaf vegetation). Females move onto the field around dusk to lay eggs.

The moths start laying eggs on the bracts of the sunflower heads a week after they emerge. Females prefer to lay their eggs on medium-sized buds rather than smaller or larger buds. The majority of eggs are laid individually or in tiny clusters on the outer whorl of bracts. On the inner bracts and the underside of the sunflower head, a few eggs are inserted.