Spodoptera androgea
Stoll, 1782
androgea armyworm moth
Spodoptera androgea is a found in North America and parts of South America. It belongs to the Spodoptera, commonly known as , which contains several economically significant agricultural pests. The species is one of many Spodoptera that can occur on soybean and other , though it is generally considered less economically important than such as S. frugiperda () or S. eridania (southern armyworm). The MONA or Hodges number for this species is 9671.1.



Pronunciation
How to pronounce Spodoptera androgea: /spɔˈdɔptɛra ænˈdroʊdʒiə/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Identification
of Spodoptera androgea are likely to resemble other Spodoptera , making field identification difficult without examination of subtle morphological characters. As with other , identification relies on features such as the arrangement and shape of pinaculae (sclerotized ) on the , capsule markings, and the pattern of abdominal spots. Conclusive identification typically requires examination of late- larvae; younger larvae often cannot be reliably distinguished from .
Images
Distribution
North America (conterminous United States); South America (Brazil: Amazonas, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina states).
Human Relevance
Member of a containing major agricultural pests. While S. androgea itself is not among the most economically damaging Spodoptera , it occurs in soybean-growing regions where proper identification of is essential for pest management decisions.
Similar Taxa
- Spodoptera frugiperda is the most widely distributed Spodoptera in North and South America and is a major pest of corn, cotton, and occasionally soybean. Distinguished by four pinaculae per abdominal with those on the eighth segment forming a square, and an inverted Y-shaped mark on the .
- Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern is an increasingly important soybean pest in South America. Distinguished by black markings on the first and eighth abdominal and a light-colored that is interrupted by the first abdominal segment spot.
- Spodoptera ornithogalli-striped occurs in the southeastern United States. Distinguished by paired black triangular spots along the back with adjacent yellow stripes that are not interrupted by the spots, often giving a black velvety appearance with bright yellow stripes.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Quick Guide to Armyworms on Soybean | Beetles In The Bush
- How Artificial Intelligence Could Make It Easier to ID Common Corn Pests
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