Bug FAQSweet Potato Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera dolichos · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Dolichos Armyworm Moth, Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 40 mm (1 ⅝ in). It occurs from the southern United States through Central America down to Argentina. Its larvae eat many wild and cultivated plants, making it a pest of crops and garden plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 40 mm (1 ⅝ in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range continues south through Costa Rica to Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big is the Sweet Potato Armyworm Moth?
The adult’s wingspan is about 40 mm (1 ⅝ in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It lives in the southern United States and extends south through Central America to Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on many wild and cultivated plants, so they can become pests of crops and garden plants.
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_dolichos
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.