Bug FAQSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera eridania · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Southern Armyworm, Southern Army Worm
Source: Wikipedia
The southern armyworm moth is a serious pest that defoliates many garden and field plants, often leaving skeletonized leaves. It can have up to four generations per year, each lasting about a month, and adults are present all year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Spodoptera eridania, the southern armyworm, is known as a pest moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 33 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
In Florida they are heavy feeders on tomato plants. Young larvae feed together, skeletonizing leaves as they defoliate the plant.
Source: Wikipedia
How to get rid of it
Foliar insecticides work best when applied to small larvae. Insecticide effectiveness varies, and botanical options are often less toxic to the larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is a major defoliator in tropical and subtropical western-hemisphere regions, feeding heavily on young plants and often producing skeleton leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae prefer weeds such as Amaranthus species and Phytolacca americana. They also feed on a wide variety of important vegetables, fruits and crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In Florida the species can produce about four generations each year. Each generation lasts roughly 30 to 40 days.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are active throughout the entire year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range also extends through the Caribbean, Central America and into South America down to Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I control southern armyworm infestations?
Apply foliar insecticides early, when the larvae are still small; botanical insecticides are generally less effective.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants are most at risk from southern armyworm?
Tomatoes, as well as many vegetables, fruits and other crops, can be heavily damaged.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spodoptera_eridania
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.