Scoop caterpillar: photos and varieties of harmful butterflies
Scoop or night bat belongs to the Lepidoptera family. The owl is a nocturnal moth. This pest causes irreparable damage to the crop. Caterpillars eat foliage and fruit from the inside, destroy entire plantations. They can damage a huge number of plants. Rapid reproduction and acclimatization in any conditions contribute to active resettlement in new areas. However, there are effective ways to control the pest. When insects appear, measures must be taken to destroy them.
Content
What does an owl look like (photo)
Scoop Description
Name: Scoops or night bats
Latin: noctuidaeClass: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Lepidoptera - Lepidoptera
Family: Owls - Noctuidae
 | Habitats: | all over the world |
 | Dangerous for: | various types of plants |
 | Means of destruction: | folk, chemical and biological preparations |
Butterfly can be large and small. It depends on the species. The wingspan reaches a maximum of 13 cm. In small species - 10 mm. Insects have a round head and depressions on the forehead. Night bats that live in the mountains, with elliptical or kidney-shaped eyes.
Whiskers of females are very simple. They are filiform or comb-shaped. They can be framed by fluffy cilia. The antennae of males are more complex.
The trunk is developed. Part of the varieties with a reduced proboscis. There are "taste cones" on the surface of the trunk. The head, chest, belly are covered with scales and hairs. Sometimes you can see a tuft of hair.
Some of them have spurs on their shins, the rest have claws and spikes. The wings are mostly triangular. There is also an elongated shape of the wings, less often rounded. With their help, the insect overcomes considerable distances. Mountain species have short wings.
Mountain species have short wings. On the wings, the pattern consists of spots:
- rounded;
- wedge-shaped;
- kidney-shaped.
The spots may be golden or silver. Hind wings yellowish, blue, red, white. The colorful habitat of the insect suggests the presence of a peculiar pattern.
Life cycle
Due to the huge number of species, the life cycle is different. A caterpillar can have up to 6 instars. Occurs during this time no more than 5 lines. The northern and mountain variety lives for 2 years.
| Placement | Places of pupation - earth litter, soil, plant tissues. |
| Pupa | The pupa always hibernates. However, an older or middle-aged caterpillar can overwinter. In a warm region, the moth develops without stopping, forming more than one generation during the year. In winter, they are in a daze. |
| Eggs | The shape of the eggs is hemispherical. The surface has a cellular or ribbed structure. Females make laying on the ground. The laying reaches 2000. |
| Corpuscle | The body of the caterpillar can be green, yellow, brown. Usually it is glabrous with primary or secondary setae, and also with longitudinal stripes. |
Life
Owl caterpillar.
The caterpillars are active at night. They are not visible during the day. Butterflies also appear at night. The exceptions are some arctic and alpine species. They may be active during the day.
Some species may migrate. This is influenced by the prevailing wind direction at certain times of the year. This is how one can explain the appearance of tropical varieties in the southern part of the Far East. There are up to 40 such subspecies.
Distribution
The world fauna includes more than 35000 species. In the Russian Federation, the number of species is about 2000. Insects are distributed throughout the world. They can live both in the arctic desert and tundra, and high in the mountains. The share of species by country is distributed as follows:
- Palearctic - 10000;
- Europe - 1450 - 1800;
- Germany, Switzerland, Austria - 640;
- Jordan, Sinai, Israel - 634;
- Saudi Arabia - 412;
- Egypt - 242;
- Iraq - 305;
- Syria - 214.
It should be noted that the northern population is migratory, and the southern one is settled.
Varieties
Among the main inhabitants of this genus are:
- exclamation - eats potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, corn, beets, lettuce, turnips, sunflowers, strawberries;
- alfalfa - destroy soybeans, flax, corn, alfalfa. Lives in all regions of Russia;
- stem - prevails in Siberia. Destroys rye, wheat, corn, oats;
- spring - habitats are steppes and forests. Feeds on barley, oats, wheat, corn;
- pea - a pest of legumes and cereals. Destroys peas, clover, alfalfa, sugar beets and legumes;
- sage - the enemy of essential oil culture. The main diet consists of mint, lavender, sage;
- bluehead - uses pear, cherry, mountain ash, apple tree, sweet cherry, apricot, almond, poplar, teren, oak, hazel, hawthorn;
- yellow-brown early - feeds on raspberries, apple trees, cherries, pears, plums, peaches, various wild berries;
- gamma - her diet consists of beets, flax, legumes, hemp, potatoes;
- winter - eats winter rye, beets, cabbage, potatoes, tobacco, gourds. Destroys up to 140 varieties of plants;
- potato - eats potatoes, beets, tomatoes, cereals.
Each species has its own characteristics in appearance and lifestyle.
Interesting Facts
Bloodthirsty owl.
In the tropics there are bloodthirsty scoops. Insects feed on the blood of mammals and their glands. However, only males are bloodthirsty. They have a reinforced proboscis. The proboscis of females is undeveloped. The diet of females consists exclusively of plant juice and fruits.
The largest unique representative can be called typing agrippin. Habitat - South America. The wingspan can be up to 28 cm.
In the Red Book of the Russian Federation, 6 varieties of the insect were brought.
Natural enemies
The scoop has enemies in nature. These include predatory bugs Perillus bioculatus and Podisus maculiventris, as well as parasitic hymenoptera of the genus Trichogramma. These species lay eggs on scoop eggs. After the development of the larvae, the insect dies.
preventive measures
Fighting an owl is very difficult. However, it can be reduced by:
- catching, using baits in the form of fermented juice, jam, kvass, syrup, and other sweet foods;
- the use of infusion of tobacco or wormwood;
- regular loosening of the soil between rows when eggs are laid;
- elimination of weeds from the plots. The first and second decades of August are the best periods, as the pest starts with weeds and then eats vegetables;
- timely cleaning of plant residues.
To prevent the appearance of caterpillars, you must:
- dig deep into the ground - the scoops will freeze on the surface of the soil;
- burn weeds and tops - contributes to the destruction of eggs;
- fertilize the land with manure or mineral nitrogen fertilizers.
Ways to deal with the owl
At the first appearance of the scoop on the site, it is necessary to immediately expel or destroy it. There are a number of different methods for this.
Folk ways
Herbal teas are very effective.
Chemical and biological methods
Pesticides are needed to kill pests in large potato plantations. All means that poison Colorado potato beetles are suitable. Also suitable for use:
- "Prestige";
- "Aktara";
- "Confidora";
- "Bazudina".
Of the biological preparations, Fitoverm and Nemabakt are used.
The disadvantages include long-term action. After treatment with chemicals, fruits are not harvested earlier than 30 days later.
You can read more about all methods of struggle in article 6 ways to deal with the scoop.
Conclusion
All plants must be carefully inspected for the presence of eggs and caterpillars. When identifying pests, choose one of the methods of elimination. Folk methods show good results. In case of mass destruction, chemical compositions are used. However, the best option would be timely preventive measures.
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