Loopers

Agronomist, Evan Ryan (Landmark), has recently experienced problems with caterpillars causing damage to a canola crop near Yarrawonga, in the Northeast of Victoria.  The caterpillars have been identified by Research Officer, Judy Bellati (SARDI), as loopers (Family: Geometridae). There are many species of loppers with Australia. Judy says the caterpillars identified are not the common brown pasture looper (Ciampa arietaria) or looper caterpillar (Chrysodeixis argentifera).

Loopers are usually hairless, have a slender body and are green or brown in colour. Most loopers are active during the day and are leaf feeders, although they occasionally feed on flowers, pods and grain. They are known as loopers due to their characteristic movement; a series of ‘loops’ where the back arches into a loop shape by the prolegs (at the end of the body) being brought up to the front legs.

Evan is concerned about the amount of damage to the crops, which is characterized by the punching of holes in the leaves. The paddock was a cereal crop last year and has not previously experienced problems with loopers. The paddock also has a high number of aphids and control measures are being considered.

Adult loopers are medium to large size. Most adult moths have camouflaged wing patterns and are active at night. These patterns are usually wavy lines which extend across both the fore and hind wings. These moths rest with a standard posture, holding wings outspread and tightly pressed against the surface on which they are resting.

This report serves as a timely reminder to be on the lookout for caterpillar species. Loopers can be easily misidentified as other pests, such as native budworm. Correct identification is important as some species may have relatively little impact on crops, while others can be very damaging.