Alfalfa Looper – Autographa californica

Alfalfa Looper   Scientific Name: Autographa californica Common Name: Alfalfa Looper Appearance: Adult Alfalfa Loopers have a medium-sized gray-black body with a wingspan of 30-40mm. They have gray-silver forewings with ivory-colored tear-shaped markings. The hindwings have dark blackish-brown color. The caterpillars (Larvae) are light green in color, with white lines running along the length of the body. Host Plants or Food: Alfalfa looper is known to feed on a variety of plants, but the main hosts of it are Alfalfa, Clover and Canola. Territory: Throughout North America. Mode of Damage: Alfalfa loopers are leaf chewers; they eat tissues of the leaves, making holes in them and causing defoliation. Habits and Life History: Alfalfa looper overwinters as pupa in the plant residues or soil and emerges as an adult in late Spring. Female lays almost 150-200 eggs singly on the weed plants. Eggs are hemispherical and yellow in color. Eggs hatch into larvae in about a week and start feeding on the leaves of the plants. Larvae reach up to 25mm long after 4 weeks of feeding. Mature larvae have a swollen abdomen. When the time of pupation comes, the larvae spin the cocoons attached to the leaves in which they pupate. After seven days, the pupa develops into an adult Alfalfa looper. The whole life cycle from egg to egg takes place in a month, and 3-4 generations per year are produced. The damage caused by Alfalfa loopers is most evident in the months of June, July, September and October.