The eggs of this species are off-white. They are laid in groups low on the leaves of a foodplant, often between in the sheaths or on the blades. The mother moth uses a sticky secretion to hold the group in place.

(Photo: courtesy of H.C. Sharma,
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics,
ICRISAT, Andhra Pradesh, India)

The young Caterpillars are green. Later instars are brownish with a thin pale dorsal line, and with dark lateral lines on each side. The head has a light and dark brown pattern. Solitary individuals remain fairly pale in colour, but when Caterpillars become crowded, for example when feeding communally, they develop a much darker shade.

The Caterpillar is an international pest, attacking many agricultural plant species, particularly:

Rice ( Oryza sativa, POACEAE ).

The Caterpillars feed on the leaves, leaving only the midrib uneaten. The Caterpillar will not feed on Bitter Gourd ( Momordica charantia ) probably because of the presence of the triterpenoid glucoside: Momordicine II. The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 4 cms.

The pupa is brown, and formed under surface litter in the soil.

(Picture: courtesy of CSIRO Entomology)

The adult moth has brown forewings with dark specks. The hindwings are pale brown. The pheromones of this species have been determined.

Various methods are used to control the Caterpillars, including :

Thailand.

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common, Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 33, 45-46, 59, 65, 466.

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