Spodoptera praefica Grote 1875

Spodoptera praefica (Grote)
Figs. 46, 155-156, 291-292, 333, 363, 395, 427, 459, 513-515, 541
Prodenia praefica Grote 1875: 44; Smith 1891: 45; Smith 1893: 170; Grote 1895: 43; Dyar 1903: 13 (subspecies of ornithogalli); Barnes & McDunnough 1917: 67; Draudt 1926: 256; McDunnough 1938: 96.
Spodoptera praefica; Todd & Poole 1980: 728; Franclemont & Todd 1983: 141; Poole 1989: 925; Poole & Genrili 1996: 774.
Diagnosis. — Resembles the female of S. ornithogalli. Hindwing underside of S. praefica with distinct crescent-shaped spot at base of Cu veins, can be seen as a faint spot on upperside. Male genitalia with coremata reduced, closely appressed to sacculus (Fig. 363). Female genitalia with ventral plate of ostium bursa wider than high (Fig. 459); signum short (Fig. 427).
Description. Adult Male. — Head: Basal seg-
ment of labial palpus black with longer ventral scales cream; median segment black, variably mixed with brown and cream, apex cream (with a few rufous scales); apical segment black, apex cream. Frons with short scales cream; long scales cream to light brown; lateral spots at eye margin black; vertex cream, light brown, and brown. Antenna filiform; scape cream and brown; flagellum cream and brown.
Thorax: Patagium light brown flecked with black, median transverse band white. Tegula light brown. Mesothorax light brown with a few black tipped scales. Underside of thorax white. Prothoracic femur fuscous and cream; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, cream and fuscous, subapical spot absent; tarsal segments cream and fuscous. Mesothoracic femur cream and fuscous; tibia cream and fuscous, inner spur more than twice length of outer spur, spurs completely scaled; tarsal segments fuscous with cream apical rings. Metathoracic femur cream and fuscous; tibia cream and fuscous; tarsal segments cream, fuscous at base on segments 2-A, sometimes on 1 .
Forewing: Length, 15-17 mm; ground color brown; basal line absent; longitudinal black dash at base absent; R vein not a contrasting color; basal triangular scale patch between R and Cu veins brown bordered by white (can be mixed with black scales); basal half circle scale patch below Cu vein light brown bordered by black; antemedial line absent; claviform spot absent; basal scale patch from costa to below anal vein; gray patch covering anal cell and half of cell CuA2 absent; oblique brown mark from fifth outer marginal spot to vein CuA2 absent; curved white line from antemedial line to postmedial line absent; orbicular spot an oblique trapezoid, cream, with a light brown center bordered by black; reniform spot indistinct, brown with black scales, white and black on proximal border, apex light brown bordered by a white V-shaped mark; white scales along Cu vein from orbicular spot to junction of veins M3 and CuAl which extend down veins M3, CuAl, and CuA2 to postmedial line; postmedial line indistinct, white bordered by a few black scales; postmedian band gray; black scale patches short in middle of cells R4 to CuAl in postmedian area; subterminal line white, curved; apex lacking a white patch (some specimens can have more white scales creating an indistinct patch); black crescent-shaped spots along outer
margin; fringe light brown (tipped brown). Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin with black spots; reniform spot gray.
Hindiuing: Ground color white suffused with pale gray; apex, outer margin, and veins with pale gray scales; fringe white. Underside ground color white; costal cells C and Sc white speckled with gray scales; outer margin with gray triangular spots in middle of cells Sc to CuAl; crescentshaped gray spot at base of Cu veins.
Abdomen: Dorsum pale gray; venter cream and gray; disto-lateral black spots on sternites; 8th tergite with spiculate patches absent on caudal margin.
Genitalia: Uncus curved in apical half; slender, gradually narrowing toward pointed apex; setae absent or few. Scaphium elongate, weakly developed. Tegumen lacking a pair of projecting arms on upper third. Costa slightly bent at middle
and width; at base of costa on inner edge; perpendicular to costa of valve. Cucullus apex truncate; not produced. Anellifer with lightly sclerotized plate bearing setae present. Ampulla elongate, slightly curved with a decurved apex; extends beyond apex of valve (Figs. 333, 363). Clasper proper absent. Clavus short, round, covered with setae. Sacculus widest at one-third its length, distal half narrow, constant width; apex truncate. Valvula wider than valve; well differentiated from valve, apex free; apex truncate; indentation small, ventral margin slightly curved. Coremata reduced, closely appressed to sacculus; no distinct lobes. Juxta a narrow rectangular band, median process moderately broad at base and elongate, ventral margin broadly concave. Anellus with minute granules. Vinculum U-shaped with parallel arms and a robust base. Aedoeagus straight; coecum smaller in diameter than shaft; patch of spines absent on apex of membranous sheath surrounding aedoeagus. Vesica curving ventrally; moderately elongate, 0.75-1.0 length of aedoeagus; apicobasal cornutal patch quadrate; length moderate, extending to before middle of vesica; cornuti a mixture of small and large spines; lateral cornutal patch an ovate area; composed of large spines; dense cornutal patch dorsolaterally; distal cornutus a bulbous elliptical plate, apex pointed.
Adult Female. — Essentially as described for male except:
Forewing: Length, 15-18 mm.
Abdomen: Fine dense scales on 8th segment black.
Genitalia: Ventral plate of ostium bursa with height greater than width; distal margin slightly concave; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite small, more developed ventrally than laterally. Ductus bursae short (length less than twice width); completely sclerotized. Appendix bursae partially sclerotized. Corpus bursae bulbous, length less than twice width; striate convolutions. Signum in apical half of corpus bursae; short, length less than 0.65 mm; forming greater than a 45 degree angle to vertical axis of corpus bursae.
Larva. — See description, p. 114.
Type material. — Prodenia praefica Grote. The lectotype 8 [BMNH, here designated] is labeled: 5568, Calif.; California, Grote Coll., 82-54; Prodenia, praefica, Grote type; Noc. gent, slide No. 3947 6 . The lectotype is designated to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 291. Type locality: California, USA. The following syn types become paralectotypes: (1) Label data: 5568, Calif.; California, Grote Coll., 82-54; Prodenia, praefica, Grote. (2) Label data: Grote Coll., 82-54; California, Mendocino, vi. 72.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following country: United States.
Distribution (Fig. 541). — This species is restricted to the western United States from Washington, Oregon, and California, east to western Montana, southwestern Colorado, and Utah.

Spodoptera praefica (Grote)
Figs. 155-156, 513-515
Diagnosis. — The larvae of this species most closely resemble those of S. ornithogalli. The middorsal stripe on the prothorax of S. praefica is almost as wide as the dorsolateral stripes; in S. ornithogalli the middorsal stripe is much narrower. The lateral spot on abdominal segment 1 is less than half the width of the segment, whereas in S. ornithogalli the lateral spot is more than half the segment width. The head of S. ornithogalli has more black and the frons is either all black or mostly black as compared to S. praefica which has a thin border of black on the frons and a small amount of black at the apex (pale form).
Description of preserved specimens. — Head: Color yellowish brown; reticulate; frons yellowish brown; cutting edge of mandible serrate; P2 setae farther apart than PI setae; ratio ecdysial line: frons height, averages between 0.63-0.84. Thorax: Pronotum with dorsolateral stripe conspicuous, either solid or consisting of closely spaced spots and dashes; middorsal stripe narrower than dorsolateral stripe. Mesothorax with segmental spot triangular; with lateral dark spot present. Meta thorax with segmental spot triangular; white spot absent; lateral dark spot present. Abdomen: Body smooth; setal pinacula minute. Middorsal stripe inconspicuous, narrower than dorsolateral stripe. Segmental spots uniform in size from abdominal segments 1-8; wide on segments 1-6, almost extending to middorsal stripe; each with a line passing through; on 8th abdominal segment larger than on mesothorax. Segment 1 with lateral dark spot present. Segments 2-6 with lateral dark spots in spiracular band present. Spiracular band reticulate; spiracular band on segments 1-6 with white or light colored spot caudal to spiracle present. Spiracles with black border and pale center; not stalked. Subspiracular stripe inconspicuous, concolorous below spiracu-
lar band. Crochets uniordinal; total number on one side of body greater than 107 (range: 120-145; average: 129.5; n=10).
Color description. — Mature larva 20^46 mm in length. Head ground color brownish to brownish orange heavily reticulated with blackish or reddish markings; adfrontal sutures and areas yellowish white forming a conspicuous inverted V. Ground color variable from almost pure creamy white to black with yellow. Dorsolateral stripe yellow in black specimens. Spiracular band dark. Dark specimens with pale lateral and subspiracular stripes, (van den Bosch & Smith 1955).
Plant hosts. — This species has been recorded from 43 species of plant hosts in 16 families. Agriculturally important plants it attacks include alfalfa, cotton, rice, sorghum, and tomato.

A southwestern species, ranging from extreme southern Alberta and southeastern BC south and west to at least California.

A medium size moth (ws= cm) with medium brown forewings marked with both lighter yellow brown and darker brown. The normal lines and spots are partially outlined with fine pale lines. The area along the cubital vein between the orbicular and reniform is white, and the orbicular is frequently outlined and partially filled with pale scales as well. There is a series of short black streaks between the veins in the subterminal area, and thin white subterminal and terminal lines. Fringe dark brown streaked with white at the veins. The hindwings of males are dirty white with dark scales along the veins, a thin dark incomplete terminal line, and a light fringe. Sexes similar but females with darker hindwings. The forewing pattern is rather difficult to describe, but quite distinctive.

In Alberta it has been found only in the dry grasslands region in the Milk River valley at Writing-on-stone Provincial Park.

In Alberta, probably not a permanent resident, with adults migrating in from further south in late summer. Adults are nocturnal and come to light. The caterpillars are general feeders on a wide variety of broad-leaved plants, including a number of agricultural crops such as potatoes and sugar beets.

The caterpillars are general feeders on a wide variety of broad-leaved plants, including a number of agricultural crops such as potatoes and sugar beets. The larvae are reported to feed during the day.

Spodoptera praefica, the western yellow-striped armyworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae found from British Columbia to California, east to Utah, and north to Alberta. As of 4 October 2021 it is absent from the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization) area, but is considered a high risk for invasion there.

The wingspan is 35–40 millimetres (1+3⁄8–1+9⁄16 in). It is similar in appearance to Spodoptera ornithogalli, but S. praefica's fore-wings are paler and lack the blurry white stripe. The hind-wings of S. praefica are white or gray and have a small brown dot on the ventral side. Adults are on wing from March to April and from August to September.

The larvae are black with yellow stripes and an inverted "y" marking on the head. They feed on the leaves of various herbaceous plants including agricultural crops such as alfalfa, potato, rice, sugar beet, and sweet potato.

Spodoptera praefica là một loài bướm đêm thuộc họ Noctuidae. Nó được tìm thấy ở British Columbia tới California, phía đông đến Utah, phía bắc đến Alberta.

Sải cánh dài 35–40 mm. Con trưởng thành bay từ tháng 3 đến tháng 4 và từ tháng 8 đến tháng 9.

Ấu trùng ăn lá của nhiều loại thực vật thân thảo bao gồm agricultural crops such as alfalfa, potato, rice, sugar beet và sweet potato.