Spodoptera eridania

Non-native, native to Central and South America and the Caribbean

Found mainly in SEastern US

Life Cycle:  30-40 days

Eggs, flattened spheres, are laid on leaves in clusters, covered by the scales of the moth.  Greenish hue turning to tan, 4-6 days.   Larvae moults 6 times to a length of about 35mm, green to blackish green with a reddish brown head with narrow white stripe dorsally and other stripes laterally; mostly active at night.  Duration 14-20 days.  Pupae: largely pupates in soil at depth of 5-10 cm, mahogany brown, 16-18mm in length and 5-6mm in width. Duration 11-13 days.  The adult moth’s forewings are gray and brown, mottled dark brown and black, the back wings lighter in color.

Host plant: a broad range of vegetable, fruit and ornamental crops.  These were found feeding on alligator weed, the only non-native plant species and invasive on Womack creek.  We have chosen not to remove this patch because the alligator weed patch also contains two bio-control insects introduced into Florida to combat the alligator weed.  The army worm and the two bio-control species, the alligatorweed stem borer and the alligatorweed flea beetle are also non-native species on this creek.

Natural predators: parasitic wasps, stink bugs.