Budworm
Guides
Chloridea virescens
Tobacco Budworm Moth, Tobacco Budworm
Chloridea virescens, the tobacco budworm moth, is a noctuid moth native to the Americas and a major agricultural pest. The species was transferred from genus Heliothis to Chloridea in 2013 based on genetic and morphological evidence. Adults are brownish with green tinge and distinctive wing banding. Larvae feed on buds, blossoms, and fruit of diverse host plants, causing significant crop damage. The species has developed rapid resistance to multiple insecticide classes, making management challenging.
agricultural-pestnoctuidaetobacco-pestcotton-pestinsecticide-resistanceBt-resistanceNorth-AmericaSouth-Americacomplete-metamorphosisparasitoid-hostpheromone-communicationhost-plant-preferencematernal-effecttemperature-dependent-developmentsoil-pupationdiapausecannibalismlarval-defense-behaviorintegrated-pest-managementsterile-insect-techniquetransgenic-crop-targetHeliothisChlorideaLepidopteraowlet-mothbudwormbollworm-complexChoristoneura retiniana
Modoc budworm
Choristoneura retiniana is a conifer-feeding tortricid moth known as the Modoc budworm. It occurs in California, Nevada, and Oregon, where it feeds primarily on true firs (Abies spp.), particularly white fir. The species is sympatric with the western spruce budworm (C. occidentalis) in mixed conifer stands, and the two species hybridize in nature. Larvae are characteristically green, distinguishing them from the brown larvae of C. occidentalis. The species exhibits density-dependent parasitoid complexes that may serve as indicators of population trends.