The larvae are considered a pest on a wide range of tropical crops in South-East Asia, including Saccharum officinarum, Zea mays, Elaeis guineensis, Nicotiana tabacum, Arachis hypogaea, Sesamum, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Gossypium and Allium.
The larvae have been recorded feeding on the stems of young Gossypium species.
They have a very broad host plants range, mainly broad bean (Vicia faba), green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), pea (Pisum sativum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), aubergine (Solanum melongena) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus), as well as sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and cotton (genus Gossypium).
Desert cotton (Gossypium thurberi), also known as Arizona wild cotton and Thurber's cotton, is a wild species of cotton native to the Sonoran desert area of northern Mexico and parts of the state of Arizona in the United States.
The larvae feed on the leaves, buds, flowers and fruit of Gossypium, Nephelium lappaceum and Durio zibethinus.
Gossypium | Gossypium hirsutum | Gossypium barbadense | Gossypium thurberi |
Genetic studies indicate that Hawaiian cotton is related to American species of Gossypium, with its closest relative Gossypium hirsutum.