Tomato worms

Contributor: CABI
Date Compiled: 2024
Creative Commons "Attribution-Share Alike"
Autographa gamma (silver-Y moth); Larva. Image copyright: ©Charles Olsen, Charles Olsen Insect Collection, USDA APHIS PPQ/via Bugwood.org - CC BY-NC 3.0 US

Monitoring

Solution
Monitoring practices begins in mid-to-late June, when the adult armyworms begin to migrate. Pay attention to the egg masses and first-generation larvae with yellow-white hairs on the back of vegetable leaves.
Select 2 crops from representative cruciferous vegetables, beans, lotus root, taro, etc. and select 3 plots of each crop. Use the diagonal 5-point sampling method, once every 10 days, in the early morning or evening, 10 points in each field, and survey 5 plants at each point
If any traces of larvae or signs of damage are found, take timely preventive measures.
The best time to eliminate Spodoptera litura is before the third instar larvae.

Control

Regulations surrounding chemical products can change rapidly – always verify chemicals recommended here with the most recent legislation and lists of products registered for your country
Solution Product Category Production stage (if possible with reference to BBCH scale) Max nb. of a. i. application/year Application Details and Notes (commercial product example) Chemical Group IRAC Code
Chlorantraniliprole
Synthetic insecticide
(Greenhouse only): from BBCH 11 (the 1st true leaf of main stem, fully unfolded) up to BBCH 89 (full maturity).
3 (Time interval between treatments: 7 days)
(AFFIRM®) Dosage: 100 - 150 gr /HL
6
Carbamidocarb
Synthetic insecticide
Diamides
Emamectin benzoate and tebufenozide
Perchloric acid emamectin benzoate
The information made available here has been obtained from or is based upon sources believed by CABI to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. Anyone acting or relying on such information does so entirely at their own risk. The efficacy of the IPM methods included above will depend on local conditions and might not always be suitable everywhere within the specified country.