Spodoptera dolichos

Fabricius, 1794

Sweet Potato Armyworm Moth, Dolichos Armyworm Moth, Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera dolichos is a noctuid native to the Americas, ranging from the southern United States through Central America to Argentina. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. have a wingspan of approximately 40 mm. Larvae are , feeding on a wide variety of wild and cultivated plants.

Spodoptera dolichos by (c) Lyle Buss, University of Florida, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.Spodoptera dolichos by (c) Laura Gaudette, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Laura Gaudette. Used under a CC-BY license.Spodoptera dolichos by Lyle Buss, University of Florida. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Spodoptera dolichos: //spoʊˈdɒptərə ˈdɒlɪkoʊs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Specific diagnostic characters for distinguishing S. dolichos from other Spodoptera are not documented in the available sources. Larvae are with variable coloration typical of the , making species-level identification difficult without rearing to or molecular analysis.

Images

Appearance

have a wingspan of approximately 40 mm (1+5⁄8 inches).

Habitat

Found in diverse environments across its broad geographic range, from subtropical regions of the southern United States through tropical Central and South America to temperate regions of Argentina. Specific microhabitat preferences are not documented.

Distribution

Southern United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, with occasional records north to Kentucky and Maryland), south through Rica, throughout South America to Argentina.

Diet

Larvae are and feed on a wide range of wild and cultivated plants. Specific plant records are not detailed in available sources.

Human Relevance

Larvae feed on cultivated plants, though the is not specifically highlighted as a major agricultural pest in available documentation. The "sweetpotato " suggests association with sweet potato .

Similar Taxa

  • Spodoptera frugiperdaBoth are Spodoptera with larvae, but S. frugiperda () has distinctive pinaculae with single stout setae and an inverted white Y-shaped marking, and is a major pest of corn, cotton, and other crops with different distribution patterns.
  • Spodoptera exiguaBeet armyworm is primarily a vegetable pest with larvae typically green above and pinkish or yellowish below with a white lateral stripe; when a dark spot is present, it occurs on the rather than the first abdominal segment as in other .
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern larvae often have prominent black markings on the first and eighth abdominal segments; in South America, S. eridania has become a major soybean pest, whereas S. dolichos is not specifically documented as such.

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Sources and further reading