Spoladea recurvalis, the beet webworm moth or Hawaiian beet webworm moth, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It is found worldwide, but mainly in the tropics.
The wingspan is 22–24 mm. The moth flies from May to September depending on the location.
The larvae feed on spinach, beet, cotton, maize and soybean. When fully grown, they are about 19 mm long.
Distribution is Worldwide. Asia, Africa, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe (restricted), Oceania. It is recorded from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji1, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna.
Mainly plants in the following families: Amaranthaceae (amaranthus), Fabaceae (beans, peanut, mung bean, soybean), Chenopodiaceae (beet, spinach), and Solanaceae (eggplant), and some weeds - amaranthus (pigweed) and chenopodium (lamb's quarters), and ornamentals (e.g., cockscomb).
The larvae do the damage, and when numerous can defoliate crops rapidly. They also attack, flowers and pods. At first, it feeds only on the lower surface, leaving the uppersurface as clear 'windows'; later, it eats inside a tube formed by rolling leaves or drawing adjacent leaves together with the aid of silken threads.
Egg are laid singly or in groups near the midrib on the undersides of leaves, and hatch to produce a creamy-white larva with numerous hairs (Photo 1). Mature larvae are up to 25 mm long, greyish-green, with a dark line down the middle of the back; they become reddish-pink before pupating in the soil inside a cocoon covered with soil particles. The adult is 10 mm long with a wingspan of 22-24 mm and characteristic white bands across the abdomen and wings (Photos 2&3). The life cycle is about 30 days.
Spread is by flight on the wing; the moth is famous for long distance migrations. Spread may also occur associated with the international trade in plants.
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