Beet armyworm

beet armyworm
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Spodoptera
Species:	S. exigua
Binomial name
Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, 1808)
Synonyms
Noctua exigua Hubner, 1808 Caradrina venosa Butler, 1880 Laphygma exigua

The Beet Armyworm or Small Mottled Willow Moth (Spodoptera exigua) is one of the best-known agricultural pest insects. It is also known as the asparagus fern caterpillar, and the adult moth is known in the UK (where it is an introduced specie and not known to breed) as the small mottled willow. It is native to Asia, but has been introduced worldwide and is now found almost anywhere its many host crops are grown. The voracious larvae are the main culprits. They are greenish-brown cutworms, soft and bulging caterpillars with dark longitudinal stripes. The adult is a drab brown or gray moth 2 to 3 cm in wingspan.

Larva

The larvae feed on the foliage of plants, and can completely defoliate small ones. Smaller larvae devour the parenchyma of leaves, so that all that remains is the thin epidermis and veins. Larger larvae tend to burrow holes through thick areas of plants. For example, they will burrow straight into a head of lettuce rather than neatly removing tissue from one particular leaf. This renders the produce unmarketable. They attack buds and new growth on plants, preventing flowers from opening, new leaves from sprouting, and vegetables from developing. As the smaller larvae move about they leave strands of silk behind, netting the leaves with a silvery film.

Illustration

The wide host range of the beet armyworm includes asparagus, beans and peas, sugar and table beets, celery, cole crops, lettuce, potato, tomato, cotton, cereals, oilseeds, tobacco, many flowers, and a multitude of weed species. The beet armyworm does not tolerate cold. It can overwinter in warm areas, such as Florida and Hawaii, but in colder areas it dies off during the winter and the region is reinvaded by the adult moth as the weather warms and crop plants sprout.

External links

• beet armyworm video Spodoptera exigua, a migratory plague.
• beet armyworm on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site

This Hadeninae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Spodoptera Agricultural pest insects Hadeninae stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую Otto Werner William Paget, 5th Baron Paget Look at other dictionaries: beet armyworm — noun Date: 1902 an armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) that typically eats the foliage of beets, alfalfa, and vegetables …   New Collegiate Dictionary beet armyworm — noun moth larva that eats foliage of beets and other vegetables • Syn: ↑Spodoptera exigua • Hypernyms: ↑caterpillar • Member Holonyms: ↑Spodoptera, ↑genus Spodoptera * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary beet armyworm — the caterpillar of a noctuid moth, Laphygma exigua, a pest of beets, asparagus, corn, cotton, peas, and peppers. Also called asparagus fern caterpillar. [1900 05] * * * …   Universalium armyworm — noun 1. noctuid moth larvae that travel in multitudes destroying especially grass and grain • Syn: ↑army worm, ↑Pseudaletia unipuncta • Hypernyms: ↑caterpillar • Member Holonyms: ↑Pseudaletia, ↑genus Pseudaletia …   Useful english dictionary African armyworm — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta …   Wikipedia beetarmyworm — beet armyworm n. An armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) that feeds primarily on the foliage of alfalfa, beets, and other crops. * * * …   Universalium Spodoptera — Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) larva Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia List of moths — This is an incomplete list of species of Lepidoptera that are commonly known as moths.Large and dramatic moth species*Death s head Hawkmoth Acherontia atropos *Luna Moth Actias luna *Atlas moth Attacus atlas – The largest moth in the world… …   Wikipedia Cabbage worm — The term cabbage worm is primarily used for any of four kinds of lepidopteran whose larvae feed on cabbages and other cole crops. Host plants include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, radishes …   Wikipedia beetworm — noun The larva of the moth Spodoptera exigua: an armyworm which is a destructive agricultural pest Syn: beet armyworm, asparagus fern caterpillar …   Wiktionary 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”