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Spodoptera litura
Tropical armyworm moth, 2cm in length. Spodoptera litura (Fabricius, 1775) is also known as the Oriental leafworm moth, Cluster caterpillar, Cotton leafworm, Tobacco cutworm, Tropical armyworm, Taro caterpillar, Tobacco budworm, Rice cutworm, and Cotton Cutworm. Reported as a Philippine sweet potato pest, this moth is found in Asia, with some specific problematic pest population reports also occurring in Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, the Pacific islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Hawaii. In Australia, it is found in northern two thirds of the country. It is not established in the United States, however, it is a pest of national, regulatory concern.
Spotted near the backyard.
Classification: Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Noctuoidea » Owlet Moths (Noctuidae) » Cutworm or Dart Moths (Noctuinae) » Prodeniini » Armyworms (Spodoptera). Reference and comparison with other spp: http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/sweetp..., http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life..., http://www.cabi.org/dmpp/?loadmodule=rev..., http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/p..., http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au..., http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.ed....
Spotted on Oct 28, 2012
Submitted on Nov 17, 2012
4 Comments
Okay Agnes, I'll change mine too :)
@Leana, I changed the ID from Spodoptera ornithogalli to Tropical Armyworm Moth (Spodoptera litura).
Thanks nexttogone! :) This is the 2nd time I've spotted a moth of this species. This spotting though is longer than the first, and I was able to take clearer pictures.
Awesome find!