Description

Adult

Wingspan of up to 40 mm. Forewings is 15-17 mm long usually a golden colour but can also be a bronze colour. Two oval silver spots are present on the forewings which are often united. Hindwing is pale. The thorax has 2 prominent crests.

Larvae

Mature larvae are 34-38 mm in length. Body is pale yellow-green with a glassy green to grey head edged with a black streak. A thin dark green to black line stretched from the head to the 7th abdominal segment above the spiracles. A thicker whiter line is below this. Spiracles are black and ventral region is speckled with white dots.

Eggs

Dome shaped, white to pale green and shiny with 28-32 vertical ribs from micropyle to base.

Distribution

Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.

Economic Host(s)

A wide range of fruit and vegetable crops outdoors and within greenhouses. Favoured hosts include tomato, beans, potato, tobacco, soybean, pepper and cucumber.

Symptoms/Signs

Early instars feed on the underside of leaves. Later instars feed within rolled leaves leaving skeletonised remains behind. They will also bore into pods of legumes to feed.

Generations:

Generations: Up to 9 (climate dependent)