Placement of Noctuid eggs (Lepidoptera) on soybean plants

Abstract

The distribution of eggs of Noctuidae on the leaflets of soybean plants was analyzed during 2 seasons. Four species were found in the 1st yr; Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner was the most frequent, followed by Rachiplusia nu Guenee, Spodoptera latifascia Walker, and Chrysodeixis (=Pseudoplusia) includens Walker. However, in the 2nd yr, R. nu, instead of C. includens, was the least frequent species. A. gemmatalis and S. latifascia oviposited mainly on medium-height plant regions but also on leaflets with different average sizes. R. nu and C. includens laid their eggs in the upper and lower plant regions, respectively. All species oviposited preferentially on the ventral surface. These results suggest that spatial parameters of the plant are important for Noctuidae in choosing where to oviposit on soybean.