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Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth - Hodges#9671 (Spodoptera dolichos)
Photo#511217
Copyright © 2011
bandb
caterpillar eating indoor Dendrobium orchid leaf. -
Spodoptera dolichos
Hollywood, Broward County, Florida, USA
April 30, 2011
Size: ~12 mm.
Small Dendrobium orchids on our bathroom window shelf. Window is screened.
The caterpillar has a few short, dark hairs on back, not visible in this image.
Images of this individual:
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Contributed by
bandb
on 2 May, 2011 - 2:07pm
Last updated 30 March, 2012 - 1:51pm
Moved
Moved from
Butterflies and Moths
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…
Paul Dennehy
, 30 March, 2012 - 1:51pm
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Moved
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…
Brad Barnd
, 19 May, 2011 - 2:51am
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Check out the Yellow-Striped Armyworm
and see what you think, but there's always the chance you have something strange down there in FL
…
john and jane balaban
, 2 May, 2011 - 5:28pm
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caterpillar eating indoor Dendrobium orchid leaf
Thanks for your prompt reply. It seems that it is as you suggest, a Yellow-striped Armyworm. I rummaged through the links to previously submitted caterpillar images and didn't see any reports from Florida. I have no idea how it might have come to be on the little orchids as we never have seen this caterpillar or its moth, and the orchids have been in the house for many years.
As for something strange down here, Florida is the very definition of strangeness :-)
…
bandb
, 2 May, 2011 - 9:16pm
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In addition to Yellow-Striped Armyworm
You might also consider Southern Armyworm Moth (Spodoptera eridania):
or Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth (Spodoptera dolichos)
http://bugguide.net/node/view/57552/bgimage
or Unbarred Spodoptera (Spodoptera albula)
http://bugguide.net/node/view/164441/bgimage
Sorry I couldn't find photos of all of them
…
Kelly Fiegle
, 3 May, 2011 - 6:31am
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caterpillar eating indoor Dendrobium orchid leaf
Surely some variety of Spodoptera. Our friends at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden are intrigued.
While it is no longer an identification puzzle we remain puzzled as to how the caterpillar got to the orchids. Many thanks to you all.
bandb
…
bandb
, 3 May, 2011 - 1:54pm
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