---
title: "Oriental leafworm moth"
description: "Spodoptera litura — Insecten en spinnen. Spodoptera litura, otherwise known as the tobacco cutworm or cotton leafworm, is a nocturnal moth in the family Noctuidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/nl/animal/oriental-leafworm-moth
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Oriental leafworm moth

> Spodoptera litura — Insecten en spinnen. Spodoptera litura, otherwise known as the tobacco cutworm or cotton leafworm, is a nocturnal moth in the family Noctuidae.

- Scientific name: *Spodoptera litura*
- Category: `insects` (Insecten en spinnen)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 12992
- Wikidata: [Q27294](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27294)
- iNaturalist taxon: [124875](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/124875)

## Names

- en: Oriental leafworm moth
- de: Asiatische Seidenglanzeule
- es: Gusano oriental de la hoja

## Countries with the most observations

AU (2782), NZ (1136), IN (854), HK (779), TW (429), JP (138), TH (131), CN (122), KR (36), ID (33), SG (33), LK (32)

## Summary

Spodoptera litura, otherwise known as the tobacco cutworm or cotton leafworm, is a nocturnal moth in the family Noctuidae. S. litura is a serious polyphagous pest in Asia, Oceania, and the Indian subcontinent that was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. Its common names reference two of the most frequent host plants of the moth. In total, 87 species of host plants that are infested by S. litura are of economic importance. The species parasitize the plants as larvae through vigorous eating patterns, oftentimes leaving the leaves completely destroyed. The moth destroys economically important agricultural…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodoptera_litura

## Photo

![Oriental leafworm moth](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/oriental-leafworm-moth/medium.jpg)

Photo: Morgane Merien · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21967736

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/oriental-leafworm-moth?lang=nl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).