LepIntercept

NOCTUIDAE - Spodoptera

Taxonomy

Noctuoidea: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Spodoptera

Common names: armyworms

Synonyms: Laphygma, Prodenia, Calogramma, Rusidrina, Douzdrina

Before the current concept of Spodoptera was accepted, some species were placed in the genus Xylomyges.

Larval diagnosis

Spodoptera is a worldwide genus consisting of 30 described species. Larvae of Spodoptera can be recognized by having a combination of the morphological characters listed here. Identification to species usually relies on other morphological characters in addition to body color, origin, and potentially host.

The four most frequently intercepted Spodoptera include: S. exigua, S. frugiperda, S. littoralis, and S. litura. Diagnoses for these four species are provided on the respective fact sheets.

Interceptions of early instar larvae, those without a definite origin, or those that cannot be placed to species are identified as Spodoptera if they possess a combination of the following characters:

Head with adfrontal area outlined in white forming an inverted "Y"
Mandible with four scissorial teeth and no retinaculum
SD1 on T2 and T3 connected to the associated tonofibrillary platelet by a minute sclerotized bar
SV group bisetose on A1
Lateral spot often present on first abdominal segment
Body setae short, most not much longer than the vertical height of the 8th abdominal spiracle

Host/origin information

Because Spodoptera is a worldwide genus with many polyphagous species, larvae can be intercepted from nearly any origin on most any host. A complete list of the host and origin data for "Spodoptera spp." is listed on the Interception Records tab. Common host/origin combinations for the four most frequently intercepted species of Spodoptera (S. exigua, S. frugiperda, S. littoralis, and S. litura) are provided on the respective fact sheets.

Recorded distribution

Although Spodoptera is a cosmopolitan genus, S. exigua is the only species that is distributed worldwide. Other species are generally distributed across the New World or the Old World (Pogue 2002).

Links to species fact sheets

Spodoptera exigua

Spodoptera frugiperda

Spodoptera littoralis

Spodoptera litura

NOCTUIDAE - Spodoptera

Larval diagnosis (Detailed)

Diagnosis of mature larval Spodoptera was given in the fact sheet for S. littoralis. This discussion focuses on early instar Spodoptera and those Spodoptera that can only be identified to genus.

Several noctuid genera such as Elaphria, Galgula, Spodoptera (Wagner et al. 2011), and some European relatives (Beck 1999-2000) have larva with a "swollen thorax" (may include A1, A2 as well), especially in the early instars. In the case of Spodoptera, the most obvious examples are in the former genus Prodenia and Xylomyges, and the "Laphygma group" (S. frugiperda and S. exigua in North America) do not show this character as clearly. This is significant for identification of these species. Early instars of S. frugiperda and S. exigua can be named if they show the characteristic mesothoracic dark spot or large pinacula respectively (see fact sheets on these species). Worldwide, early instar larvae Spodoptera at the swollen thorax stage should not be identified past genus because all show basically similar markings. There is one exception: early instar S. litura from orchids from Thailand can also be identified to species based on host/origin until evidence of a sibling species in this pathway is documented. In addition, young S. eridania may well have characteristic dorsal and lateral swellings, but early instar Spodoptera are too poorly known to fully evaluate this character.

Elaphria nucicolora is often intercepted on pineapple from Latin America (PestID database). It differs from Spodoptera by having a banded head and a pair of dark dorsal spots on A2 (see Wagner et al. 2011 although the dark spot on A2 is more obvious in preserved material, Vargas Carrillo 2011). It too has a "swollen thorax" and potentially could be misidentified as Spodoptera. There is an early instar larva from Latin America with dark spots on T2, T3, A1-3 that may also be part of this complex. Spodoptera or Elaphria is a good guess for these larvae, with Spodoptera the most likely possibility.

Identification authority (Detailed)

Identification of "Spodoptera" is usually justified when:

1. The orgin is unknown or the larva is too young (swollen thorax stage).

2. The larva is atypical and from the Caribbean. Spodoptera androgea and S. pulchella are both common species and their larva are both poorly known. We can expect individuals that do not match published descriptions.

3. The larva is from some parts of South America. We know the larva of S. ochrea and S. albula are almost identical. Larval variation in S. cosmiodes and S. descoinsi is poorly studied. These should be left at genus.

Some Old World species have poorly know larvae (see introduction to Spodoptera key below).

Key to recognizing Spodoptera litura/littoralis intercepted at U.S. ports of entry (includes other Spodoptera)

NOCTUIDAE - Spodoptera

Origin records

Spodoptera have been intercepted from the following locations:

American Samoa, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway (?), Palestinian Territory, Panama (?), Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand, Tortola, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom of Great Britain and N. Ireland, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe

Host records

Spodoptera have been intercepted on the following hosts:

Abelmoschus esculentus, Aconitum napellus, Aconitum sp., Allium ampeloprasum, Allium ascalonicum, Allium cepa, Allium schoenoprasum, Allium sp., Alstroemeria sp., Amaranthus sp., Ananas sp., Anemone sp., Anethum graveolens, Anethum sp., Angelica sp., Annona muricata, Anthurium sp., Antirrhinum majus, Antirrhinum sp., Apium graveolens, Apium graveolens var. dulce, Apium sp., Arachis sp., Artemisia dracunculus, Artemisia sp., Asclepias sp., Asclepias tuberosa, Asparagus officinalis, Asparagus sp., Aster sp., Asteraceae, Atriplex sp., Basilicum sp., Begonia sp., Brassica chinensis, Brassica oleracea, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, Brassica oleracea var. italica, Brassica rapa, Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis, Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, Brassica sp., Bupleurum griffithii, Bupleurum sp., Calendula sp., Callistephus chinensis, Callistephus sp., Campanula sp., Capsicum annuum, Capsicum sp., Ceiba sp., Celosia sp., Cercis sp., Chamaemelum nobile, Chenopodium album, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Chenopodium berlandieri ssp. nuttalliae, Chenopodium sp., Chrysanthemum sp., Citrus sp., Clematis sp., Cola acuminata, Colocasia esculenta, Colocasia sp., Corchorus capsularis, Corchorus olitorius, Coriandrum sativum, Crotalaria longirostrata, Crotolaria sp., Cucurbita sp., Cuphea sp., Delphinium elatum, Delphinium sp., Dendrobium sp., Dianthus caryophyllus, Dianthus sp., Dizygothecea sp., Dysphania ambrosioides, Eruca sp., Eruca vesicaria, Eryngium foetidum, Eryngium sp., Eucalyptus sp., Eustoma sp., Evolvulus sp., Gardenia jasminoides, Gardenia sp., Gerbera sp., Gladiolus sp., Gomphrena sp., Grevillea sp., Gypsophila sp., Helianthus annuus, Helianthus sp., Heliconia sp., Hydrangea sp., Hygrophila sp., Hypoestes sp., Jasminum sp., Lablab sp., Lactuca sativa, Lactuca sativa var. longifolia, Lactuca sp., Leucospermum sp., Limonium sinuatum, Limonium sp., Lippia sp., Lisianthus sp., Lychnis coronata, Lycopersicon sp., Lysimachia sp., Majorana hortensis, Majorana sp., Maranta sp., Melicoccus bijugatus, Mentha arvensis, Mentha longifolia, Mentha morocco, Mentha officinalis, Mentha piperita, Mentha sp., Mentha spicata, Mokara sp., Momordica balsamina, Momordica charantia, Momordica sp., Moringa sp., Muscari commosum, Nymphaea sp., Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum sp., Oncidium sp., Oncidiums sp., Opuntia sp., Orchidaceae, Origanum majorana, Origanum sp., Origanum vulgare, Ornithogalum sp., Paullinia sp., Perilla sp., Persea americana, Phaseolus sp., Phaseolus vulgaris, Phlox sp., Physalis philadelphica, Piper sp., Pisum sativum, Pisum sp., Pithecellobium dulce, Polygonum sp., Porophyllum ruderale, Porophyllum sp., Portulaca oleracea, Protea sp., Pterocarpus sp., Ranunculus sp., Rosa sp., Rosaceae, Rosmarinus officinalis, Rubus sp., Rudbeckia sp., Rumex sp., Salvia officinalis, Salvia sp., Scabiosa sp., Solanaceae, Solanum melongena, Solanum sp., Solidago sp., Solidaster sp., Spinacia sp., Spirea japonica, Stellaria media, Syringa sp., Tagetes erecta, Tagetes sp., Talinum sp., Thymus sp., Thymus vulgaris, Trachelium sp., Veronica sp., Viburnum sp., Vitis vinifera, Zea mays, Zingiber officinale