Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Spodoptera Members: 108 NC Records

Spodoptera exigua (Hübner, [1808]) - Beet Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera exiguaSpodoptera exiguaSpodoptera exigua
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Prodeniini		P3 Number:
932215		 MONA Number:
9665.00		 Other Common Names:
Small Mottled Willow, Lesser Army Worm
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Spodoptera exiguaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: According to Wagner et al. (2011), habitats used by this species include agricultural fields, waste places and other open habitats. Our records come from primarily from open, natural habitats, including martime dunes, Coastal Plain savannas, sandhill seeps, and sand ridges. Other records come from hardwood forests but may represent strays.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous on herbaceous plants, including graminoids and forbs; a number of crop species are used. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list Amaranthus, asparagus, carrot, soybean, cotton, lettuce, rice, tomato, potato, and corn. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Fields, Gardens, and Ruderal Habitats
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Spodoptera exigua - Beet Armyworm Moth

Photos: 26
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-27
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-30
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-30
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-29
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-11-07
Polk Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-10-10
Warren Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-31
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-31
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-08-11
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-11
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-11
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-09-25
Wake Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-28
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-25
Greene Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-19
Chowan Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-06-25
Wake Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-10-17
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-10-17
Sampson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-10-17
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-10-01
Wake Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-10-01
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-13
Wake Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-13
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2017-10-27
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Robert Gilson on 2016-10-04
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera exiguaRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-09-23
Warren Co.
Comment: