Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Noctuidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Spodoptera | |
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Similar Spodoptera mauritia, Spodoptera pectinicornis, Spodoptera cilium, Spodoptera dolichos, Spodoptera praefica | ||
The Lily caterpillar, (Spodoptera picta), is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was described by Guérin-Méneville in 1838. It is found in the Oriental Region of India, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Japan.
Contents
Description
The wingspan is about 40 mm. Ochreous white colored moth. Head and thorax suffused with pinkish red. Fore wings with some red on costal base. Numerous ill-defined waved black line present between base and antemedial line. Orbicular and claviform consisting black rings. A medial pinkish red band, wide at costa narrowing to inner margin. The reniform with ochreous and black outlines and red center. The postmedial double waved lines are filled in with ochreous and highly excurved beyond the cell. Some black dashes can be seen on reddish patches beyond it. Hind wings semi-hyaline white in color.
Caterpillars have smooth skin and pale grey in color with a series of longitudinal black lines. Mesothorax also has dark patches with last abdominal segment. With development, central dorsal line become yellowish.
Ecology
The larvae feed on Crinum asiaticum, Crinum pedonculatum, Clivea miniata, Hymenocallis littoralis, and Hippeastrum species. They bore into the leaves and down into the crown of the bulb. Eggs are laid on lily plants. The caterpillar pupates in leaf litter. Pupation takes place in an under ground in an earthen cocoon.