Spodoptera litura, otherwise known as the tobacco cutworm or cotton leafworm, is a nocturnal moth in the family Noctuidae.

S. litura is a serious polyphagous pest in Asia, Oceania, and the Indian subcontinent that was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.

The moth destroys economically important agricultural crops and decreases yield in some plants completely.

[3] Their potential impact on the many different cultivated crops, and subsequently the local agricultural economy, has led to serious efforts to control the pests.

There are slight but obvious differences in morphology between males and females of S. litura that allow for the easy differentiation of the two sexes.

Females were very efficient at converting the protein consumed into body growth and mass, reflecting the bodily requirements to produce eggs.

In fact, these two species are so similar that previous records that have claimed the presence of S. litura in areas such as Russia, Germany, and the UK may actually have been referring to S.

[6] The countries with the most widespread population of S. litura include but are not limited to China, Indonesia, India, Japan, and Malaysia.

Moths in their egg, larvae, or pupae stages can be present in the soil, flower, or vegetation that are being transported across various regions.

This helps disperse the moths into new habitats and onto different host plants as food sources are depleted.

[5] Although the length of a life cycle varies slightly throughout the different regions, a typical S. litura will complete 12 generations every year.

[2] When laid, the egg batches are covered with hair scales provided by the female, which gives off a golden brown color.

A successful mating that resulted in fertilized eggs led to an even longer break from sexual receptivity.

[1] In sexually reproductive animals, recognition and attraction of potential mates can occur in the form of pheromones.

[14] Accurate recognition of compatible mates is essential for reproductive success because failure to do so will come with steep costs: wasted time and energy, higher risk of predation, and reduction of viable offspring.

It has been previously stated that the male accessory gland suppresses female calling and subsequently, re-mating.

[14] Heterospecific matings can be expected for phylogenetically closely related species with adjacent distribution, as is the case for S. litura and S. littoralis.

Overlap in pheromone composition as discussed above also contributes to the lack of total reproductive isolation between the two species.

[13] So far there are a reported 131 species of natural enemies that prey on S. litura at different points in their life cycle.

These include different species of parasites that specifically target either the egg, larval, or pupal stage.

One way is the release of chemical cues from the larvae that can act as a locator for predators searching for prey.

The stink bug Eocanthecona furcellata is a predator that uses these types of chemical signals to locate and attain prey.

Its prey locating behavior is activated when exposed to two chemical compounds released by S. litura larvae.

Some common host plants include but are not limited to: tobacco, cotton, soybean, beet, cabbage, and chickpeas.

[3] When the host plant in a particular area is depleted, big groups of larvae will migrate to find a new food source.

This can cause major economic strain since 36 million people are directly or indirectly involved in the production, sale, marketing, or transport of the tobacco crop.

The significant impact on agriculture S. litura can have as pests has earned the species a spot on the quarantine list for many countries including the United States of America.

[4] A current study of controlling this pest focuses on using the fungus Nomuraea rileyi on the larval stage of this moth.