Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Spodoptera Members: 5 NC Records

Spodoptera latifascia (Walker, 1856) - Velvet Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera latifasciaSpodoptera latifascia
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Prodeniini		P3 Number:
932220		 MONA Number:
9670.00		 Other Common Name:
Orange-tipped Armyworm
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: According to Pogue (2002), latifascia can easily be confused with S. ornithogalli but the spots of adterminal line are spindle-shaped in S. latifascia and crescent-shaped in S. ornithogalli. The veins of the hindwing are white in latifascia but are shaded with brown in ornithogalli.
Forewing Length: 15-20 mm, males; 16-20 mm, females (Todd and Poole, 1980). Length to width ratio of forewing greater than 2.5 in latifacscia but
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 latifasciaAlamance 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: Wagner et al. (2011) list croplands, waste areas, and other open lands as habitats used by this species. Our records come open wetlands, sand ridges, and residential areas, all of which may represent migrants from the south.
Larval Host Plants: Like other members of this genus, larvae of this species are broadly polyphagous (Wagner et al., 2011) and are often found on cotton, tomato, and corn. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [SNA]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species may occur in North Carolina only as an occasional migrant

 Photo Gallery for Spodoptera latifascia - Velvet Armyworm Moth

Photos: 4
Spodoptera latifascia
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-07-28
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera latifascia
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-05-29
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Spodoptera latifascia
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-05-29
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Spodoptera latifascia
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2018-07-24
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: