Thysanoplusia orichalcea

Thysanoplusia orichalcea (Fabricius, 1775)
(one synonym : Diachrysia aurifera)
Soybean Looper
PLUSIINAE , NOCTUIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

The Caterpillar of this species is a green looper with a yellow dorsal line. It is a global agricultural pest on

Sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus, ASTERACEAE),

Soybeans ( Glycine max, FABACEAE ), and

Potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum, SOLANACEAE ),

and in Sydney it is a garden pest on :

Parsley ( Petroselinum crispum, APIACEAE ).

It is known to feed on a number of plants for example:

Mums ( Chrysanthemum species, ASTERACEAE ),

Tickseed ( Coreopsis species, ASTERACEAE ), and

Bittersweet ( Solanum dulcamara, SOLANACEAE ).

The forewings of the adult moth are brown, and each has a beautiful golden patch. The hind wings are fawn coloured, darkening towards the margins. It has a wingspan of about 4 cms.

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The species occurs widely, for example in

Borneo,

New Zealand,

Spain,

Thailand, and

West Africa,
and has only recently been found in Australia: the first recorded sighting being in 1976 in Queensland. The above specimen was caught in Sydney in 1998. It is now found in

Queensland,

New South Wales, and

Tasmania.

Ascension Island, 1988

The pheromones for this species have been determined. As an agricultural pest, attempts are being made to control it using:

floral attractants,

a Baculovirus,

the wasp Copidosoma floridanum, and

the wasp Cotesia ruficrus.