Lunar yellow underwing moth

Noctua orbona

1. Identification

• Common name: Lunar yellow underwing moth
• Scientific name: Noctua orbona Hufnagel
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Noctuidae

2. Pest description

• Caterpillars brown to greenish in colour, with faint longitudinal lines and a robust body.
• Adults with brown forewings, with irregular patterns; yellow hindwings with a dark marginal band, a distinctive feature of the genus Noctua.
• Polyphagous species, feeding on various herbaceous plants and agricultural crops.
• Predominantly nocturnal activity, typical of noctuids.
• It can cause foliar damage in horticultural and ornamental crops.

3. Main hosts

• Various herbaceous plants.
• Horticultural crops (lettuce, cabbage, spinach).
• Ornamental plants.
• Spontaneous species that act as a reservoir.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Irregular perforations in the leaves.
• Partial defoliation in moderate attacks.
• More severe damage in seedlings and young leaves.
• Presence of caterpillars in the soil or at the base of the plants during the day.
• Reduction in the vigour and productivity of the affected plants.

5. Biological cycle

• Eggs laid on low vegetation or in the soil.
• Caterpillars feed for several weeks, mainly at night.
• Pupation occurs in the soil, in shallow chambers.
• Adults emerge in summer and autumn.
• Generally one generation per year, which may vary with the climate.

6. Monitoring

• Direct observation of caterpillars and foliar damage.
• Searching for caterpillars at the base of the plants or in the soil.
• Light traps for the detection of adults.
• Regular monitoring in sensitive crops during the summer.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: removal of infested plants; surface tillage of the soil; control of spontaneous host plants.
• Preventive: frequent inspection of young leaves; maintenance of good cultural hygiene practices.
• Biological: application of Bacillus thuringiensis on young caterpillars; promotion of natural enemies.
• Integrated protection: judicious application of authorised insecticides when intervention thresholds are reached; integration of cultural and biological measures.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Noctua orbona.
• CABI – Invasive Species Compendium – Noctua orbona.
• Chinery, M. (1993). Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe. HarperCollins.
• Heath, J. & Emmet, A. M. (1983). The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Curwen Press.