Spodoptera eridania
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Spodoptera eridania (Southern armyworm) is a moth that is known to be a pest. They are one of the most important defoliators in the tropical and subtropical regions of the western hemisphere that feed heavily on plants while they are young, often resulting in skeleton leaves on their food plants. They are also heavy feeders on tomato in Florida. There is a lot of development in producing pesticides against the S. eridania, specifically a neem-based pesticide that can result in smaller and prolonged development. The wingspan is 33–38 mm. Adults are on wing year-round. The larvae feed on various weeds but prefer Amaranthus species and Phytolacca americana.
The S. eridania is found in North America (the southern US states as far west as Kansas and New Mexico), through the Caribbean and Central America into South America (through Brazil to Argentina). It has been introduced Nigeria and Cameroon.
The plants that the armyworm feeds on include a wide range of important vegetables, fruits, and crops. The vegetables include beet, cabbage, carrot, collard, cowpea, eggplant, okra, pepper, potato, sweet potato, tomato, and watermelon... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Armyworm Moth sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 391st most-seen of the 1057 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Armyworm Moth in Houston on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Southern Armyworm Moth sightings, Houston has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Buenos Aires (Argentina, under 5%) and São Paulo (Brazil, under 5%).
Same genus: Spodoptera
The closest relatives of the Southern Armyworm Moth that you can see in Houston (genus Spodoptera, Armyworm Moths) are Yellow-Striped Armyworm Moth (about 10%) and Fall Armyworm Moth (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Armyworm Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (26 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
