Tobacco Caterpillar Braconid vs Diamondback Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tobacco Caterpillar Braconid Diamondback Moth
Scientific Name Microplitis demolitor Plutella xylostella
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Braconidae Plutellidae
Size 2-4 mm 12-15 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Parasitoids Herbivores
Regions North America, South America, Australia Worldwide
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Tobacco Caterpillar Braconid

A small endoparasitoid wasp that injects polydnavirus along with its eggs into caterpillar hosts. It is an important natural enemy of soybean looper and corn earworm.

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Did You Know?

It injects a symbiotic virus along with its eggs that suppresses the caterpillar's immune system.

Diamondback Moth

A tiny grayish moth with a diamond-shaped pattern along its back when wings are folded. It is the most destructive pest of brassica crops worldwide.

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Did You Know?

It costs the global agriculture industry an estimated four to five billion dollars annually in losses and control measures.