Southern Armyworm

Spodoptera eridania

Checklist Number
73.0891 [B&F: 2386b]

Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure

Classification

Family:Noctuidae
Subfamily:Xyleninae
Genus:Spodoptera
Species:eridania
Authority:(Stoll, 1780)

Recorded infrequently through accidental importation in produce from Central America and the West Indies, recorded in Britain at a plant nursery near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex as larvae on various pot-plants in April 1977, and on tomato in July 1977, with no further records to date. In Hampshire, recorded for the first time indoors at Cheriton on 15 October 2010, where believed to have emerged from grapes imported from Brazil. Wingspan 33-38mm. Larva feeds on various fruits and vegetables, causing sufficient damage to be a serious pest in some areas; no evidence of breeding in the wild in the UK.

VC12 North Hampshire

Site Date Quantity Recorder Stage
Bishops Sutton (SU63)15/10/2010onePeter ThompsonAdult