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Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Tomato fruit borer (corn earworm) (112)

Photo 1. Caterpillar of the tomato fruit borer (corn earworm), Helicoverpa armigera, eating a tomato. Note the three stripes on the top of its body.

Photo 2. Caterpillar of the tomato fruit borer (corn earworm), Helicoverpa armigera, eating a tomato. Note that there may be considerable variation in the colour and marking of this insect; compare with all the others.

Photo 3. Caterpillar of the tomato fruit borer (corn earworm), Helicoverpa armigera, eating a tomato.

Photo 4. Caterpillar of the tomato fruit borer (corn earworm), Helicoverpa armigera, eating a tomato. Note, hairs on the body can be clearly seen towards the rear of the caterpillar.

Photo 5. The sloping hind end of the caterpillar and the presence of short stiff hairs sets Helicoverpa armigera apart from Spodoptera litura.

Photo 6. Caterpillars of Helicoverpa armigera, in cobs of maize, showing the dark green stripes along the back and a yellow stripe at the side (more clearly seen on the caterpillar at the top of the photo).

Photo 7. Caterpillar of Helicoverpa armigera in cob of maize. Note, this is much darker than those in Photo 6.

Photo 8. Caterpillar of tomato fruuit borer, Helicoverpa armigera, on potato.

Photo 9. Caterpillar of tomato fruit borer (corn earworm), Helicoverpa armigera, on fruit of chilli.

Photo 10. Adult corn earworm, Helicoverpa armigera.

Photo 11. Male Helicoverpa armigera. Note the indistinct inner border of the black markings on the hind wings.

Photo 12. Spodoptera litura provided for comparision.

Summary

Worldwide distribution. On beans, capsicum, cotton, maize, okra, sorghum, tomato, and to a lesser extent legumes, tobacco, and many weeds. An important pest.
Eggs laid on tomatoes or weeds nearby. At first, the larvae feed on leaves; later, bore into flowers and fruit. Fungi and bacteria enter and cause rots.
In maize (corn), damage to tip of cob allows weevils to invade.
Natural enemies: present but often too slow to prevent damage when large numbers of moths invade an area.
Cultural control: remove weeds, and collect remains of crops and destroy. Scout for young caterpillars. Plant sunflowers at random as a trap crop, attracting moths to lay eggs.
Chemical control: Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or NVP (against early stages). Synthetic pyrethroids, alternate with other insecticides in different groups to avoid resistance occuring, but they will kill natural enemies.

Common Name

Tomato fruit borer, corn earworm, cotton bollworm

Scientific Name

Helicoverpa armigera, previously Heliothis armigera.

AUTHOR Gahame Jackson
Information from Waterhouse DF, Norris KR (1987) Biological Control Pacific Prospects. Inkata Press. Photos 1&2 Pita Tikai, ACIAR PC/2010/090, Solomon Islands. Photos 3-8,10&12 Mani Mua, SPC, Sigatoka Research Station, Fiji. Photo 9.Georg Goergen/IITA Insect Museum, Cotonou, Benin.

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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