Leucania stenographa Lower, 1900
Sugar Cane Armyworm
 (one synonym : Mythimna loreyimima Rungs, 1953)
HADENINAE,   NOCTUIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species are an agricultural pest on various plants in the family POACEAE, eg:

  • Pasture Grass, and
  • Sugar Cane ( Saccharum officinarum ).


    (Photo: courtesy of Simon Hinkley & Ken Walker, Museums Victoria)

    The adult moth has brown forewings each with various darker lines and spots, including a small black spot and a separated small white spot near the middle. The hind wings are buff, with a broken dark line around the edge. The wingspan is about 3 cms.


    underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Simon Hinkley & Ken Walker, Museum Victoria)

    It has been found in

  • Fiji,
  • New Zealand,

    and over much of Australia, including

  • Queensland,
  • Norfolk Island,
  • New South Wales,
  • Tasmania,
  • South Australia, and
  • Western Australia.


    Norfolk Island 1986

    The adult moths are similar to those of Eurasian species Leucania loreyi, but the Australian Leucania stenographa proved to be a separate species. Before that, many Australian specimens were misidentified as Leucania loreyi.

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia,
    Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 25, 65.

    Oswald B. Lower,
    Descriptions of new Australian Lepidoptera,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Volume 25 (1900), p. 30.

    Peter Marriott & Marilyn Hewish,
    Moths of Victoria - Part 9,
    Cutworms and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA (C)    ,
    Entomological Society of Victoria, 2020, pp. 25, 28-29.

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    (updated 13 August 2012, 12 May 2025)