Helicoverpa (genus)

A bollworm at Ainslie, ACT

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Identification history

Helicoverpa (genus)	18 Dec 2020	ibaird
Unidentified	7 Dec 2020	donhe
Heliocheilus (genus)	7 Dec 2020	ibaird
Unidentified	7 Dec 2020	ibaird
Helicoverpa (genus)	7 Dec 2020	jb2602

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User's notes

Could it be H. assulta?

12 comments

ibaird wrote:

7 Dec 2020

I think it could be (given the appearance of this specimen),, althoigh southern records are apparently still sparse. Acknowledged as a very mobile pest species though of several specific agricultural crops - which is likely to spread with continuing global warming (Moths of Victoria). I will create the category to get the optiion considered. If we see another one, it would be worth capturing it alive and getting it identified at CSIRO.

donhe wrote:

7 Dec 2020

'assulta', NOT assaulta, see https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/105800#page/188/mode/1up .
Those two very dark forewing marks are not present on the upper surfaces any of the 16 BOLD specimens of H assulta, nor any of the 6 photos of H. assulta in Marcus Matthews' 'Heliothine Moths of Australia'. They do appear to be present only on the undersides of many Heliothines.
Heliocheilus cistella is the Heliothine with very dark marks on the upper surfaces, also normally a tropical species.

jb2602 wrote:

7 Dec 2020

What about Helicoverpa zea? eg https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/16163800 also see https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/368830-Helicoverpa-assulta

ibaird wrote:

8 Dec 2020

https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/16163800 looks like H. armigera to me! I think H. cistella does look most likely based on the appearance of the specimen on Bold, especially when compared with the second image, Although I don't have a copy of Matthew's 'Heliothine Moths..' and the ALA shows no live specimens. I note also that all Bold records are from tropical Australia or Western Australia. H. zea sems rarely to show dark markings like this specimen although there are very many visual records of that species online .

donhe wrote:

9 Dec 2020

Helicoverpa zea is an American species, and so far has not invaded Australia.

ibaird wrote:

16 Dec 2020

A.rubrescens is very variable but examples very close to this appear on the ALA.

donhe wrote:

16 Dec 2020

We could ask Marcus Matthews, author of 'Heliothine Moths of Australia'

ibaird wrote:

16 Dec 2020

OK, if you know him, contact him!

donhe wrote:

16 Dec 2020

His book lists him as working at CSIRO Entomology. You live closer than I do.

ibaird wrote:

18 Dec 2020

Don, Mathews has long since retired from CSIRO. Glenn's advice is that this is probably a Helicoverpa sp. Glenn has promised to send me a link to a site which has a lot of specialist out of print Moth reference books. I'll forward the link to you if and when I can.

donhe wrote:

18 Dec 2020

I have a copy of Marcus' book, with its plates of photos of over 300 adult specimens of 38 named Australian Heliothine species. I was in contact with him a couple of years ago when he gave me permission to put copies of his larval photos on the Coffs website. Sadly I have lost his email address. Someone at CSIRO must know his home address, You could perhaps visit him ? Many elderly entomologists retain an interest in the subject long after they retire.

GlennCocking wrote:

19 Dec 2020

As Ian says, my first reaction was that it is a Helicoverpa, but I agree with what Don says about it not being in the wide range of photos in Matthew's book that try to illustrate all Heliothine species' variability. The Heliothine moth that has the most prominent orbicular and reniform (and other) dark marks is Heliothis punctifera. The underlying pattern in this photo is reasonably consistent with the plainest H. punctifera specimens, and I can find similar orbicular and reniform marks in other more strongly marked specimens. So I think it is either H. punctifera or we are off track and it's a Noctuoid of a different family. The first photo shows some of the genitalia, but I can't make anything of that.

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