Occasionally loopers severely damage cotton foliage. They are readily identified by their looping movements and by having only two pairs of abdominal prolegs.
The moth has mottled brown fore wings and light brown hind wings. Wingspan is about 1 1/2 inches. Female moths deposit their pale green eggs singly on host plants.
Mature larvae pupate in flimsy cocoons in folded cotton leaves. A generation may take 4 to 6 weeks with three or more generations occurring in South Carolina.
As the humidity increases in mid to late summer, populations are usually attacked by naturally occurring diseases (photo shows diseased looper on left), and chemical control is unnecessary.
