Earias biplaga

"Spiny bollworm" redirects here. For the other moth with this common name, see Earias insulana.

Earias biplaga, the spiny bollworm, is a moth in the family Nolidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1866. It is found throughout subtropical Africa including Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands.^[2]

Earias biplaga
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Nolidae
Subfamily:	Eariadinae
Genus:	Earias
Species:	E. biplaga
Binomial name
Earias biplaga Walker, 1866[1]
Synonyms
Earias citrina Saalmüller, 1884 Earias crocea Mabille, 1900 Earias fuscoliliana Snellen, 1872 Earias maculana Snellen, 1872 Earias plaga Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874

Their length is about 10–12 mm, wingspan about 18–25 mm and it is characterised by a dark purplish-brown terminal fringe on the forewing.^[3]

The larvae feed on species of Fabaceae and Malvaceae. It is considered as a pest to cotton and cacao.