Black cutworm

Spodoptera littoralis

1. Identification

• Common name: Egyptian cotton leafworm
• Scientific name: Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Noctuidae

2. Pest description

• Caterpillars with variable colouring, from green to dark brown, with light longitudinal lines.
• Adults are brownish moths with nocturnal flight.
• Highly polyphagous larvae feed on leaves, stems and fruits.
• Most intense activity at dusk and during the night.
• Species with high dispersal capacity and strong economic impact.

3. Main hosts

• Tomato.
• Potato.
• Pepper.
• Eggplant.
• Maize.
• Cotton.
• Various vegetable and ornamental crops.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Partial or severe defoliation.
• Perforations in leaves, stems and fruits.
• Direct damage to young and ripe fruits.
• Significant reduction in production.
• Contamination of the produce by excrement and plant fragments.

5. Biological cycle

• Several generations per year in warm climates.
• Eggs deposited in masses covered by scales from the female's abdomen.
• Caterpillars develop through 5–6 instars.
• Pupation in the soil.
• Adults emerge rapidly under favourable conditions.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of egg masses on the underside of the leaves.
• Checking for young caterpillars on tender shoots.
• Monitoring with pheromone traps for flight detection.
• Assessment of the intensity of defoliation and fruit damage.
• Recording of outbreaks in sensitive crops.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: destruction of crop residues, crop rotation and control of wild host plants.
• Biological: use of Bacillus thuringiensis in young stages and conservation of natural enemies.
• Integrated protection: monitoring with pheromones, interventions only when justified, judicious application of authorised insecticides and integration of cultural practices to reduce population pressure.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Spodoptera littoralis.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – S. littoralis.
• DGAV – Plant health alerts and fact sheets on polyphagous lepidopterans (2019–2024).
• European Commission – Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.
• Pogue, M. (2002). A review of the genus Spodoptera.