Species Hellula phidilealis - Cabbage Budworm Moth - Hodges#4847

4847

Cabbage Budworm (larva)

Hellula phidilealis (Walker, 1859)

Leucochroma phidilealis Walker, 1859

Phyratocosma trypheropa Meyrick, 1936

* phylogenetic sequence #145850

Wingspan about 15 mm.

Larvae to 20 mm.

Adult: forewing brownish-yellow mottled with white patches, especially in basal half; basal, AM, and PM lines wavy, bordered by white; reniform spot an irregular-shaped blackish patch; terminal line consists of three main black dots - one at the apex, and two closer to anal angle, with both areas surrounded by small white patch; subterminal line lacking (unlike H. rogatalis which has a subterminal line composed of several equally-spaced black dots); hindwing light gray.

Southern United States (Florida to Arizona), north in the east to North Carolina. Also occurs south to South America.

Gardens, commercial crop fields; the moths make short erratic flights when flushed from plants during the day; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light.

Young larvae bore into buds, stems, and stalks of crucifers (plants in the mustard family) and related weeds, including cabbage, turnip, beet, collard, cauliflower, kale, rutabaga, radish, kohlrabi, mustard, rape, horseradish, shepherds purse, purslane.

Up to 350 eggs are laid on host plant buds, hatching in three days. Larvae feed in summer and fall. Older larvae spin silken webs on leaves and feed on outer leaves during the day within these webs. Overwinter in soil as pupae or larvae in silk-lined cells.

Cabbage Webworm Moth (Hellula rogatalis) forewing has smoothly-rounded oval or kidney-shaped reniform spot (not an irregular-shaped blotch), less white in basal half of wing, and a subterminal line consisting of several equally-spaced black dots (whereas H. phidilealis lacks a subterminal line, and its terminal line consists of only 3 main dots, not equally-spaced)

H. aqualis is larger, has a white median area, indistinct basal and AM lines, indistinct reniform spot, and the black dots in the terminal line are not surrounded by white patches

Walker, F. 1859. List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 19: 972

Moth Photographers Group - species page

pinned adult image plus distribution and foodplant (Matthew Barnes, Moths of Jamaica)

pest status on cabbage and common name reference (U. of Florida)

presence in Florida; list (Florida State Collection of Arthropods)

presence in Arizona; list (Bruce Walsh, Moths of Southeastern Arizona)