Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook

Cucumber-Looper

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Cabbage looper
Trichoplusia ni Hubner
Showing damage
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
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Alfalfa looper
Autographa californica Speyer
Showing damage on leaves
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
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Cabbage looper
Trichoplusia ni Hubner
Adult
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
Image related to Cucumber-Looper
Alfalfa looper
Autographa californica Speyer
Egg(s) on host
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
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Alfalfa looper
Autographa californica Speyer
Parasitized immature
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
Image related to Cucumber-Looper
Cabbage looper
Trichoplusia ni Hubner
Egg(s) on host
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
Image related to Cucumber-Looper
Cabbage looper
Trichoplusia ni Hubner
Immature
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection
Image related to Cucumber-Looper
Alfalfa looper
Autographa californica Speyer
Adult
© Ken Gray Insect Image Collection

Includes

Alfalfa looper (Autographa californica)
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni)

Pest description and crop damage Cabbage looper adults are brownish moths with distinctive silvery figures on the front wings. Eggs are ridged and dome-shaped and usually laid singly on the undersurface of leaves. Loopers are smooth-skinned with only a few long bristles down the back. They are green, usually with a narrow white stripe along each side and several narrow lines down the back. They may grow up to 1.5 inches long. Mature larvae spin silken cocoons and pupate, usually attached to leaves. Looper caterpillars can be distinguished from most other common caterpillars by their distinctive looping movement, in which they arch the middle portion of their body to bring the hind legs forward to meet the front legs. Cabbage looper larvae feed on leaves, causing ragged-edge holes in the leaf and on the leaf margins.

Management-chemical control: HOME USE

  • acetamiprid
  • azadirachtin (neem oil)-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk)-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • bifenthrin (usually as a mix wth zeta-cypermethrin).
  • capsaicin-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • cyfluthrin
  • delamethrin
  • esfenvalerate
  • kaolin-Applied as a spray to foliage, it acts as a repellent to some insect pests. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • permethrin
  • pyrethrins-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • spinosad-Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • zeta-cypermethrin

Management-chemical control: COMMERCIAL USE

  • alpha-cypermethrin (Fastac EC) at 0.0175 to 0.025 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 0.075 lb ai/a per season.
  • azadirachtin (Neemix 4.5)-See label for rates. Acts slowly. Apply early. REI 4 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Thorough coverage and repeat applications are necessary.
  • Bacillus thuringiensis (Javelin) at 0.12 to 1.5 lb/a. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. Acts slowly. May need multiple applications. Add an appropriate spreader-sticker to enhance control. Most effective on small larvae. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • beta-cyfluthrin (Baythroid XL) at 0.013 to 0.019 lb ai/a. PHI 0 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.088 lb ai/a per season. Retreatment interval 7 days.
  • bifenthrin (Sniper) at 0.05 to 0.1 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.3 lb ai/a per year. Do not make more than two applications after bloom. Do not make applications less than 7 days apart.
  • bifenthrin/avermectin (Athena) at 0.05 to 0.12 lb ai/a. PHI 7 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 0.35 lb ai/a Athena, 0.056 lb ai/a avermectin, or 0.3 lb ai/a bifenthrin per season.
  • bifenthrin/zeta-cypermethrin (Hero EW) at 0.04 to 0.1 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 0.4 lb ai/a per season. Limit 2 treatments after bloom.
  • borate complex (Prev-Am Ultra) applied as a 0.4% solution to complete coverage. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • Burkholderia spp. (Venerate XC) at 1 to 4 quarts/a product. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • chlorantraniliprole (Coragen) at 0.045 to 0.098 lb ai/a soil or foliar. PHI 1 day. REI 4 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Do not exceed 0.2 lb ai/a per season. Limit 4 treatments.
  • chlorantraniliprole/lambda-cyhalothrin (Voliam Xpress) at 0.059 to 0.088 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 24 hr. Minimum of 5 days between applications. Do not exceed 0.18 lb ai of lambda-cyhalothrin or 0.2 lb ai of chlorantraniliprole per acre per growing season.
  • chlorantraniliprole/thiamethoxam (Voliam Flexi) at 0.1 to 0.175 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Do not exceed 0.172 lb ai of thiamethoxam or 0.2 lb ai of chlorantraniliprole per acre per growing season.
  • Chromobacterium subtsugae (Grandevo) at 0.3 to 0.9 lb ai/a per 100 gal. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • cyantraniliprole (Exirel) at 0.065 to 0.133 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day in field; 0 day in greenhouse. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Limit 6 treatments per year. Do not exceed 0.4 lb ai/a per year.
  • cryolite (Kryocide) at 8 to 12 lb ai/a. PHI 14 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 48 lb ai/a per season. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • cyfluthrin (Tombstone) at 0.025 to 0.038 lb ai/a. PHI 0 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.175 lb ai/a per season. Retreatment interval 7 days.
  • deltamethrin (Delta Gold) at 0.012 to 0.028 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 3 days. Do not exceed 0.168 lb ai/a per season.
  • esfenvalerate (Asana XL) at 0.03 to 0.05 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.25 lb ai/a per year.
  • fenpropathrin (Danitol 2.4EC) at 0.2 to 0.3 lb ai/a. PHI 7 days. REI 24 hr. PPE required. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 0.8 lb ai/a per year.
  • gamma cyhalothrin (Declare) at 0.01 to 0.015 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 24 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Do not exceed 0.09 lb ai/a per season.
  • indoxacarb (Avaunt) at 0.045 to 0.11 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Do not exceed 0.44 lb ai/a per year.
  • lambda-cyhalothrin (Warrior II) at 0.02 to 0.03 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 24 hr. Retreatment interval 5 days. Do not exceed 0.18 lb ai/a per year.
  • methomyl (Lannate SP) at 0.45 to 0.9 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day at 0.45 lb ai/a, 3 days if over 0.45 lb ai/a. REI 48 hr. Limit 12 treatments per year. Do not exceed 5.4 lb ai/a per year.
  • methoxyfenozide (Intrepid 2F) at 0.06 to 0.16 lb ai/a. PHI 3 days. REI 4 hr. Retreatment interval 7 days. Do not exceed 1 lb ai/a per season. Do not exceed four applications per season. Adding a spreader-sticker improves performance.
  • novaluron (Rimon 0.83EC) at 0.06 to 0.078 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 12 hr. Retreatment interval 14 days. Do not exceed 0.23 lb ai/a per year.
  • permethrin (Ambush 25W, Pounce 25W) at 0.1 to 0.2 lb ai/a. PHI 0 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 1.2 lb ai/a per season. Retreatment interval 7 days.
  • spinetoram (Radiant SC) at 0.039 to 0.078 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 4 hr. Retreatment interval 4 days. Do not exceed 0.266 lb ai/a per season. Limit 6 treatments. Follow resistance management procedures on the label. Cabbage looper only.
  • spinosad (Success, Entrust SC) at 0.063 to 0.125 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 4 hr. Treat eggs at hatch and small larvae. Do not exceed 0.45 lb ai/a per crop. Limit 6 treatments. Entrust SC is OMRI-listed for organic use.
  • tebuconazole/lambda cyhalothrin (Crossover) at 0.14 to 0.16 lb ai/a. PHI 7 days. REI 24 hr. Do not exceed 0.18 lb ai/a lambda cyhalothrin or 0.48 lb ai/a tebuconazole per season. Retreatment interval 10 to 14 days.
  • zeta-cypermethrin (Mustang) at 0.04 to 0.05 lb ai/a. PHI 1 day. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.3 lb ai/a per year. Retreatment interval 7 days.

Note: Pesticides may injure cucurbits. The possibility of injury is less when foliage is dry at time of application.

Related Links

Kaur, N. (Ed.). 2024 Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook.
© Oregon State University.

Use pesticides safely!

  • Wear protective clothing and safety devices as recommended on the label. Bathe or shower after each use.
  • Read the pesticide label—even if you’ve used the pesticide before. Follow closely the instructions on the label (and any other directions you have).
  • Be cautious when you apply pesticides. Know your legal responsibility as a pesticide applicator. You may be liable for injury or damage resulting from pesticide use.

Trade-name products and services are mentioned as illustrations only. This does not mean that the participating Extension Services endorse these products and services or that they intend to discriminate against products and services not mentioned.