{"id":1261,"date":"2020-10-15T16:45:41","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T13:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/ru\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2022-08-12T00:09:59","modified_gmt":"2022-08-11T21:09:59","slug":"sovki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/sovki\/","title":{"rendered":"Owlet moths (Noctuidae)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Owlet moths, also called cutworms, are insects from the Lepidoptera<\/em> family, numbering about 12 thousand species. If we take into account a separate family of  moth-like butterflies — Erebidae<\/em>, then more than 35 thousand species. Distributed all over the world. You can meet a moth in any climatic zones and conditions. The habitat can be deserts like the Sahara or the Gobi, snow-covered wastelands of the Arctic or high-altitude areas with peaks from 2-3 thousand meters high. The interesting facts of the features of the owlet moths should include the ability to echolocation. At the moment, this is the only family of arthropod type in which this ability has been proven. This can be explained by the nocturnal lifestyle of the insect, as well as protection from bats that prey on most species. Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera<\/em>), Turnip moth (Agrotis<\/em> segetum<\/em>) and Cabbage moth (Mamestra<\/em> brassicae<\/em>) are listed as quarantine pests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Description<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Moths are medium-sized butterflies with a wingspan of 3-4 cm and a body length of about 2 cm. It is easy to detect and identify with the naked eye. The colour of the wings ranges from light brown to light black, with a \u201cdirty\u201d shade. In the family of Erebidae <\/em>there are brighter colours. But for our regions, the standard dull shades of insect colour are more familiar. On the wings of all species, a pattern of spots and stripes is characteristic. There are 3 main spots and 3 main bands on the wings of the moth. The spots have round, wedge-shaped and kidney-shaped shapes. The straps are straight or sinuous lines dividing the wings into conditional sectors. The main difference from our traditional understanding of the concept of \u201cbutterfly\u201d is the triangular shape of the wings of the owl. In many species of moths, the wings are adapted to fast flight over long distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not think it is necessary to consider in this article the structure of the eyes, legs, and antennae of an insect, given the huge number of taxa of the species. To understand such details is already a matter for entomologists and, in certain cases, agronomists. For the basic classification, it is enough to determine the colour, size, and structure of the wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life cycle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Taking into account the number of genera and species of the family, it should be understood that life cycles have differences. But let’s highlight 4 common ones for everyone: Egg, Caterpillar, Pupa and Imago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The egg<\/strong> has the shape of a flattened ball with a diameter of about 0.5 mm, white. It is difficult to identify potential egg-laying sites, since it can be produced both on the plant and plant waste, and on the soil. During the life of the imago, females are able to lay up to 2 thousand eggs, depending on the species. In any case, the fertility of the species is extremely high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caterpillar<\/strong> is usually up to 5 cm in length. It has a smooth body with a few bristles. He leads a secretive lifestyle, so greenish-yellow and green predominate in colours, bright colours are less common. It is characterized by the presence of several oblong stripes creating a pattern of parallels on the caterpillar’s body. The motor apparatus consists of 8 pairs of legs. The active function of movement is performed by 3 pairs of legs located in the thoracic region. The remaining 5 pairs are located in the middle and end of the body and are called false legs. In some species, they are underdeveloped or completely absent. As well as, imagos prefer the dark time of day. Therefore, starting from the second age, it goes into the soil during the daytime in order to climb the plant again at dusk and continue feeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pupa<\/strong> of moths is closed type. Pupation usually takes place in the ground at a depth of 5-10 cm. In some cases, it can take place on the surface of the soil and, depending on the habitat, in tree hollows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wintering of an insect can occur at different stages of development, and under constant favourable climatic conditions, it can be completely absent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The damage caused<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Caterpillars of moths of all ages damage plants. Depending on the age of the larva, the degree, and features of damage are correlated. Given the large size of individuals, the damage caused differs from that caused by smaller insects that feed on the cellular juices of the plant. The caterpillar of the moth literally eats the plant, devouring its tissues entirely. In the first instar, the caterpillars live on leaves and feed on them. From the second age in the daytime, they descend into the ground, which leads to subsequent damage to the stem and root system. In cases with potatoes and other similar crops, the moth devours the tubers of plants. In the case of tall plants, such as the cereal family, gnawing on the stem and root system leads to the fact that the seedling simply falls like a felled tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detection methods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most basic way of detection is to note the visual presence. The size of the individuals, the specifics of the colour and structure of the imago and caterpillars contribute to this. If we consider the methods of detection based on the defeat of the plant, then it is necessary to pay attention to the leaves and stems, which look clearly \u201cgnawed\u201d. If you didn’t do it, then most likely the moth harms the crop. One of the worst options is to detect the pest inside the root crops after harvesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methods of struggle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Among the methods of dealing with moths, according to tradition, there are 3 main types<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agrotechnical method<\/strong> of control implies the control of the density of sowing, as well as its timing and conditions for the growth of crops. The use of pheromone traps for population monitoring. This will help to calculate the potential number of pests, as well as their fertility, in order to take follow-up measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemical<\/strong> means <\/strong>of combating moths \u2014 all kinds of insecticides are abundantly available on the market. The maximum effect is given by spraying chemicals in the evening, when the moth reaches the peak of activity. The disadvantages of this method are different norms of drugs depending on the age of the caterpillar, as well as the use of various mixtures for better damage to the moths at different stages of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biological means<\/strong> of protection consist in the use of natural enemies of the moths, controlling their population. Among the antagonists are predatory bugs Macrolophus pygmaeus<\/em> and Nesidiocoris tenuis<\/em>, which feed on the eggs of moths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An even more effective way, and perhaps the most effective, is to use a parasitic wasp — Trichogramma<\/em>. The effectiveness of the Trichogramma <\/em>reaches 60-80% of the destruction of the moth. A Trichogramma<\/em> is a tiny insect that lays its eggs in the eggs of a moth, which leads to the appearance of new Trichogramma<\/em> from the eggs of a moth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, maximum effect (almost 100%) can be achieved using an integrated approach. Pheromone traps against imago, insecticides against caterpillars and Trichogramma<\/em> against eggs and reproduction. Agrotechnical method is a preventive measure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Owlet moths, also called cutworms, are insects from the Lepidoptera family, numbering about 12 thousand species. If we take into account a separate family of  moth-like butterflies — Erebidae, then more than 35 thousand species. Distributed all over the world. You can meet a moth in any climatic zones and conditions. The habitat can be …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-enciklopedia.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vrediteli"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1261\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b-ento.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}