A bollworm at Ainslie, ACT
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.
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
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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Nearby sightings
Location information
- Coordinates 149.152091-35.259221
- Places Ainslie, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 5 Dec 2020 08:36 PM Recorded on
- jb2602 Recorded by
Additional information
- 12mm to 25mm Animal size
Species information
- Helicoverpa (genus) Scientific name
- A bollworm Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-Invasive
- Up to 1091.9m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
- External link More information
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- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Confirmed by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
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