Cape Gooseberry Budworm

Helicoverpa assulta, the oriental tobacco budworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. H. assulta adults are migratory and are found all over the Old World Tropics including Asia, Africa, and Australia.

This species has a brown coloured pattern on their forewings while their hindwings are yellowish orange and have a brown margin which has a pale mark. The wingspan is about 25 millimetres (0.98 in). H. assulta is closely related to Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa zea.

The larvae feed on various Solanaceae species, including Lycopersicon, Nicotiana (Nicotiana tabacum), Physalis and Solanum. It also feeds on fruits of Physalis peruviana and Datura species. Because of its feeding behavior, H. assulta is considered a pest of economically viable crops including tomatoes, tobacco, and hot peppers. Due to the pest status, understanding how to control the moth’s behavior is a priority, but the species’ larval eating behavior and growing resistance to insecticide complicate pest control.