Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671
Spodoptera dolichos
This record describes Spodoptera dolichos (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Heppner states Spodoptera dolichos is most easily distinguished by the dark brown longitudinal stripes on the dorsum of the thorax.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Noctuinae
- Tribe
- Prodeniini
- Genus
- Spodoptera (Armyworm Moths)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Southern United States (including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas), south through Costa Rica to South America, as far south as Argentina.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae are polyphagous and feed on a wide range of wild and cultivated plants
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Spodoptera dolichos. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by john and jane balaban; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman , Robert Lord Zimlich
Frequently Asked Questions About Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671
What is Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671?
Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671 (Spodoptera dolichos) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671?
Wingspan about 40 mm.
How do you identify Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671?
Heppner states Spodoptera dolichos is most easily distinguished by the dark brown longitudinal stripes on the dorsum of the thorax.
Where is Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671 found?
Range: Southern United States (including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas), south through Costa Rica to South America, as far south as Argentina.
What does Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671 eat?
The diet of the Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671 includes Larvae are polyphagous and feed on a wide range of wild and cultivated plants.