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Anticarsia gemmatalis
Velvetbean Caterpillar, Velvetbean Moth, Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Anticarsia gemmatalis is a tropical moth whose larvae are among the most significant lepidopteran pests of soybean throughout the Americas. The species undergoes annual northward migration from tropical overwintering areas, reaching as far north as Wisconsin in the United States. Larvae feed on foliage of leguminous crops, with velvet bean, soybean, and peanut being primary hosts. The species has been studied in spaceflight experiments, where moths reared in microgravity exhibited altered flight behavior compared to earth-reared individuals.