Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1755)

Mbata, Keith J. & Prins, Jurate De, 2023, Annotated checklist of moths of Zambia (Insecta: Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 5354 (1), pp. 1-503 : 417

Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1755) *

COMMON NAME (S): Common cutworm, Tobacco cutworm or Turnip moth.

SYNONYM(S): Noctua sordida Denis & Schifferm ̧ller, 1775; Noctua undulata Goeze, 1781 ; Bombyx fuscosa Esper, 1786 ; Bombyx nigricornis De Villers, 1789 ; Noctua segetis Fabricius, 1794 ; Noctua fervida Ḩbner, 1824; Agrotis sicula Boisduval, 1840 ; Agrotis dimidia Zeller, 1847b ; Agrotis sicania Guenée, 1852a ; Agrotis aversa Walker, 1857a ; Agrotis correcta Walker, 1857a ; Agrotis marginalis Walker, 1857a ; Agrotis obliviosa Walker, 1857a ; Agrotis certificata Walker, 1865b ; Agrotis conspurcata Walker, 1865b ; Agrotis repulsa Walker, 1865b ; Agrotis ingrata Butler, 1878a ; Agrotis lassa Swinhoe, 1886b ; Bombyx catenatus Haworth, 1803 ; Bombyx connexus Haworth, 1803 ; Bombyx monileus Haworth, 1803 ; Bombyx nigricornutus Haworth, 1803 ; Bombyx pectinatus Haworth, 1803 , Bombyx subatratus Haworth, 1803 ; Noctua praecox Haworth, 1809 ; Euxoa glaucina Kozhantshikov, 1923 ; Agrotis mediocuneata Cockayne, 1952 .

IUCN STATUS: Not Evaluated (NE).

DISTRIBUTION: Algeria, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia , Niger, Saint Helena , Ascencion and Tristan da Cunga, Saudi Arabia South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Yemen, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

LOCALITY IN ZAMBIA: Chilanga, in Lusaka Province; Portion of the Southern Africa biodiversity conservation four corners area in Zambia in Northwestern, Western and Southern Provinces of the country.

LARVAL HOSTPLANT(S): A polyphagous taxon. Cutworms are indiscriminate feeders, causing damage to a variety of crops, mainly when these are young. Among the crops that commonly suffer are maize, tobacco, potatoes, young coffee, cotton, asparagus, bean, beet, cabbage, castor bean, grape, lettuce, onions, cabbages, peanut, pepper, potato, radish, spinach, squash, strawberry, rice, rye and tomato. Caterpillars sometimes can cause extensive damage to germinating plants.

SOURCES: Cabi.org. 2019; De Prins & De Prins 2022; Gardiner 2004.

Genus Amazonides Fletcher, 1961