Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Spodoptera Members: 476 NC Records

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Fall Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera frugiperdaSpodoptera frugiperdaSpodoptera frugiperdaSpodoptera frugiperda
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Prodeniini		P3 Number:
932216		 MONA Number:
9666.00
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 frugiperdaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Habitats include old fields, croplands, and waste places (Wagner et al., 2011). Our records also come from open, natural habitats, including maritime dunes, coastal savannas, marshes, sandhill seeps, sand ridges, and lakeshores. A smaller number come from various types of hardwood forests and residential areas, some of which may represent strays or migrants.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous on herbaceous plants, including both graminoids and forbs, and at least some woody species; a number of crop species are used. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list strawberry, cotton, alfalfa, tobacco, clover, wheat, and corn. In North Carolina, there are iNaturalist records of larvae feeding on various grasses. - 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 [S5]
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 frugiperda - Fall Armyworm Moth

 192 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-09-09
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-27
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-22
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-11-05
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-11-05
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-11-05
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-04
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: David George on 2024-11-01
Durham Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-11-01
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-30
Orange Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-30
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-29
Pender Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-28
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-10-25
Graham Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-24
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-10-23
Durham Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-10-22
Graham Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-10-22
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-21
Wayne Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-10-20
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-20
Madison Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-19
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-13
Orange Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-13
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-10-08
Davidson Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera frugiperdaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-06
Orange Co.
Comment: