Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. Escuela de Posgrado. Doctorado en Agricultura Sustentable

This work provides information about striped garden caterpillars as pests of the Peruvian lily Alstroemeria aurea Graham (Asparagales: Alstroemeriaceae), an important species for floriculture in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá. Between December 2022 and May 2024, field observations were recorded periodically and larvae were collected for species identification at the laboratory by consulting specialized literature. According to the results, the caterpillar species corresponds to Trichordestra legitima (Grote, 1864) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a common pest of asparagus, clover, beans, berries, aster, among other crops. This insect is native from the eastern North America. However, this represents a new record for Panama and, during the study, larvae were mainly found from December to May (dry season).