Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Noctuoidea
Family	Erebidae
Subfamily	Hypeninae
Genus	Hypena

Scientific Name

Hypena scabra

Scientific Name Synonyms

Plathypena scabra

Common Name

green cloverworm

Author: Dr. Phillip Roberts, Dr. Paul Guillebeau, University of Georgia

Description

Larvae have three pairs of abdominal prolegs and thrash violently when disturbed. Larvae are 25 to 30 mm long when fully grown and are pale green with two white, longitudinal stripes on each side. Adults are dark brown or black with spotted or mottled wings and a wingspan of about 30 mm.

Hosts

Alfalfa, beans, clover, cowpea, soybean, strawberry, vetch, many common weeds, and other legumes.

Damage

Larvae are foliage feeders and can defoliate plants if high numbers are present. These larvae are common in soybeans, but rarely reach pest status unless found in combination with other defoliating caterpillars. Low numbers of green cloverworm larvae serve as a valuable food source for beneficial insects and diseases.

Life Cycle

Green cloverworms overwinter either as pupae or adults. Moths become active in the spring and lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Eggs hatch in less than a week and larvae may feed for four weeks. Larvae burrow into litter or soil and pupate. Four or more generations occur annually in Georgia.

Control

Control is rarely needed for green cloverworm. Naturally occurring pathogens normally keep numbers below economic levels. This species is controlled effectively with many insecticides which target the foliage feeding caterpillar complex. Treat based on defoliation thresholds.

Originally compiled from

Roberts, P. and P. Guillebeau. Green Cloverworm. University of Georgia.