Tobacco Budworm: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Heliothis Virescens

Appearances: During the earliest stages, they have a yellowish-green color and a yellowish-brown head, and later instars have a greenish color with side and back stripes and a brown head. In some cases, the color of the larvae varies so greatly that larvae with pale green, pink, or dark red colors have been discovered.

Host Plants: The tobacco budworm is a pest that attacks alfalfa, cotton, tobacco, soya, and other field crops; however, it can also target cucurbits, peppers, and tomatoes, especially when its preferred crops are plentiful. Some ornamental crops, such as geraniums, birds of paradise, chrysanthemums, gardenias, petunias.

Territory: Heliothis Virescens the tobacco budworm, is a natural species that can be found throughout the eastern and southwestern United States, as well as California. Only the southern states are able to properly overwinter it. It does, however, withstand cold temperatures in greenhouses and other sheltered sites on occasion.

Damage Caused: The larvae eat their way through shoots and flower buds, while they can also be found on growth tips, leaf petioles, and stems. The larvae can easily feed on leaf material in the absence of reproductive tissue. The chance of disease infection rises dramatically as the caterpillar’s approach and pierce the fruit.

Life Cycle and Habits: Moths emerge in southern states from March to May, followed by four to five generations over the summer, and overwintering from September to November. Northern Florida and North Carolina have reported four generations, and Louisiana has documented at least five. Moths have been gathered in New York from July to September, however they are not considered a problem at such northern latitudes. This species spends the winter as a pupa.

On blooms, fruit, and terminal growth, eggs are laid. The eggs have a flattened base and are spherical. They have a width of 0.51 to 0.60 mm and a height of 0.50 to 0.61 mm. The colour of the eggs is originally whitish to yellowish white, but as they age, they turn grey. Tobacco budworm larvae have five to seven instars, the most common being five or six. Pupation takes place in the earth. Pupae are a gleaming reddish-brown tint that turns dark brown before the adult emerges.