Western bean cutworm

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Western bean cutworm
Richia albicosta.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Striacosta
Species:
S. albicosta
Binomial name
Striacosta albicosta
Smith, 1888
Synonyms
  • Richia albicosta
  • Loxagrotis albicosta

The western bean cutworm (Striacosta albicosta) is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae and the only member of the genus Striacosta. It is endemic to the Western parts of the United States, but since 2000, the species has spread east through Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.

The wingspan is about 40 mm. The moth flies from July to August depending on the location.

The larvae feed on a wide variety of plants, including beans and corn, on which it is considered a pest.