The yellow soldier worm is a moth of the family Noctuidae, common in North, Central and South America, and many Caribbean islands. This species has been reported on many vegetables and other crops including sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and tobacco. Larvae damage plants mainly by consuming foliage. S. ornithogalli can attack the cotton crop by feeding on leaves and oral structures. Although, in Colombia this insect is considered a secondary pest in cotton crops, there is a higher incidence of larvae in transgenic cotton crops than in conventional crops. plants. In addition, S. ornithogalli is one of the noctuid species of economic importance in the ornamental crops of Colombia, mainly in the municipality of Rionegro, department of Antioquia.