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Agronomist, Steve Todd (Agronomy Plus), has reported pasture day moth (Apina callisto) causing damage to a wheat crop at the 3-leaf stage, near Wagga Wagga in the South West Slopes district of New South Wales. About 10% of leaves had been damaged and 2-3 caterpillars per square foot could be found. Agronomist, Sarah Curry (Delta Agribusiness), has also recently reported pasture day moth caterpillars causing significant damage to an emerging wheat crop near Temora, in the South West Slopes district of New South Wales. Pasture day moth was a major problem across much of southern New South Wales last year and there have been several reports from the same region again this season.
Pasture day moth caterpillars are easily identified when fully grown by their dark brown to black colour and reddish-orange markings. They grow to about 50-60 mm long and have two prominent yellow spots near their rear end. The adult moths are brown with yellow markings on the wings and orange on the body. They fly in autumn and, as the name implies, are active during the day.
Pasture day moth caterpillars have a preference to feed on broadleaved weeds and will often leave cereals and grasses untouched where they have a choice in pastures. However, in paddocks where caterpillars are present and weeds are dead or dying from a previous herbicide spray, the grubs will transfer off the dying host plants and onto nearby plants. Steve says they could be found on Patterson’s curse surrounding the crop and along the nearby roadside. Alpha-cypermethrin is reported to provide good control of pasture day moth caterpillars.
Click here for images of the pasture day moth and refer to PestFacts Issue No. 6 for more information.
What is PestFacts?
PestFacts south-eastern keeps growers and advisers informed about invertebrate pests and beneficials in broadacre crops and pastures during the winter-cropping season in Victoria and southern New South Wales.
PestFacts south-eastern is run through IPMforGrains: Best Practice Insect Pest Management, a project delivered by the National Pest Information Network (cesar, DPIRD, QDAF, NSW DPI, and SARDI). This project aims to provide grain growers and advisors with information on invertebrate grain pest occurrence and equip industry with the knowledge needed to implement integrated pest management practices. This initiative is a GRDC investment and includes in-kind contributions from all project partner organisations.
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