Sweetpotato Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera dolichos (Fabricius)
Figs. 79, 92, 134, 145, 160, 259, 324, 354, 386, 418, 450,
492-194, 535
Noctua dolichos Fabricius 1794: 95.
Phalaena commelinae ].E. Smith 1797: 189, plate 95.
Trigonophora commelinae; Hiibner 1816: 217.
Phalaena marmorea Sepp [1840]: 109, plate 51; [syn-
onymized by Poole 1989: 924]. Prodenia commelinae; Guenee in Boisduval & Guenee
1852a: 162; Walker 1856: 192; Druce 1889: 268; Smith
1891: 45; Smith 1893: 169; Grote 1895: 42; Dyar 1903
:123. Prodenia dolichos; Hampson 1909: 242; Barnes & Mc-
Dunnough 1917: 67; Draudt 1924: 255; McDun-
nough 1938: 96; Richards 1941: 239; Linsley &
Usinger 1966: 160. Spodoptera dolichos; Hayes 1975: 176; Franclemont &
Todd 1983: 141; Poole 1989: 923; Poole & Gentili
1996: 774.
Diagnosis. — Easily distinguished from S. androgea by dark brown and black stripe on inner margin of tegulae of S. dolichos (Fig. 259). Forewing with medial curved white band not extending to tornus. Male genitalia with ampulla narrower than S. androgen and apex of sacculus distinct from valve (compare Figs. 354 and 355). Female genitalia with signum longer than S. androgea and almost vertical (compare Figs. 418 and
419). Striations of corpus bursae tightly convoluted (Fig. 418).
Description. Adult Male. — Head: Basal segment of labial palpus cream with median patch variably mixed with black and rufous scales; median segment cream with black median band variably mixed with rufous scales; apical segment variably mixed with black and rufous scales, apex cream. Frons with short scales rufous and cream; long scales rufous and cream; lateral spots at eye margin absent; vertex cream to pale rufous. Antenna filiform; scape rufous (mixed with a few black scales anteriorly); flagellum rufous (annulated with black becoming brown at mid-length).
Thorax: Patagium banded, basal band light brown to brown mixed with black scales, a thin black band separates basal band from a median white band, distal band light brown to brown with a few to a patch of black scales, medial apex white. Tegula with lateral two-thirds light brown, thin black stripe separating median brown quarter. Mesothorax light brown. Underside of thorax white. Prothoracic femur rufous and fuscous; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, cream and fuscous, subapical spot absent; tarsal segments cream, mixed with rufous laterally. Mesothoracic femur cream and rufous; tibia cream and rufous, inner spur more than twice length of outer spur, mediolateral surface broadly devoid of scales on both spurs; tarsal segments rufous, fuscous at base with cream apical rings. Metathoracic femur cream and rufous; tibia cream and rufous; tarsal segments rufous, fuscous at base with cream apical rings.
Foreiving: Length, 18-21 mm; ground color brown; basal line absent; longitudinal black dash at base absent; R vein from base to reniform spot gray; basal triangular scale patch between R and Cu veins gray bordered by cream (can be mixed with rosy scales); basal half circle scale patch below Cu vein brown bordered by black; antemedial line dark reddish brown, indistinct; claviform spot absent; basal scale patch small, gray, from midway between M and anal veins to anal vein; gray patch covering anal cell and half of cell CuA2 absent; oblique brown mark from fifth outer marginal spot to vein CuA2 absent; curved white line from antemedial line to postmedial line absent; orbicular spot an oblique trapezoid, cream, with a light brown center bordered by black; reniform spot brown with an elongate
cream center, proximal border cream, distal border black; white scales along Cu vein from orbicular spot to junction of veins M3 and CuAl and down vein CuA2 to postmedial line; postmedial line indistinct, gray; postmedian band with an elliptical brown spot along subterminal line; black scale patches in middle of cells R4 to CuA2, patch in R4 basal to other patches, patch in R5 consisting of only a few scales in postmedian area; subterminal line white, curved; apex with a white patch; black triangular-shaped spots along outer margin; fringe brown. Underside ground color pale gray; outer margin with black spots; reniform spot gray.
Hindwing: Ground color white; apex, outer margin to vein CuA2, and distal ends of veins Rs to CuA2 with light brown scales; fringe cream at apex becoming white at vein CuAl. Underside ground color white; costal cells C and Sc white speckled with gray scales; outer margin with gray triangular spots in middle of cells Sc to CuAl; no spot on underside.
Abdomen: Dorsum pale gray; venter cream and rufous; disto-lateral black spots on sternites; 8th tergite with spiculate patches present on caudal margin.
Genitalia: Uncus curved in apical half; slender, gradually narrowing toward pointed apex; setae absent or few. Scaphium elongate, weakly developed. Tegumen lacking a pair of projecting arms on upper third. Costa with base straight, broadly curved distally (Figs. 324, 354). Costal process narrow, elongate; at base of costa on inner edge; perpendicular to costa of valve. Cucullus apex round; not produced. Anellifer with lightly sclerotized plate bearing setae absent. Ampulla elongate, slightly curved with a decurved apex; extends to just below apex of valve (Figs. 324, 354). Clasper proper absent. Clavus elongate, fingershaped. Sacculus broad to three-fourths its length, abruptly narrowing to an elongate projection distally; apex pointed. Valvula wider than valve; well differentiated from valve, apex free; apex round; indentation of ventral margin forming a small pocket. Coremata elongate, more than 0.5 length of valve; in form of a double lobe. Juxta a narrow rectangular band, median process moderately broad at base and elongate, ventral margin broadly concave. Anellus with minute granules. Vinculum a broad U-shape with bowed arms and a robust base. Aedoeagus sinuous; coe
cum equal in diameter to shaft; patch of spines absent on apex of membranous sheath surrounding aedoeagus. Vesica curving ventrally; moderately elongate, 0.75-1.0 length of aedoeagus; apicobasal cornutal patch quadrate; length moderate, extending to before middle of vesica; cornuti a mixture of small and large spines; lateral cornutal patch absent; dense cornutal patch at apex of vesica; distal cornutus a bulbous elliptical plate, apex pointed.
Adult Female. — Essentially as described for male except:
Forewing: Length, 20-22 mm.
Abdomen: Fine dense scales on 8th segment gray.
Genitalia: Ventral plate of ostium bursa wider than high; distal margin straight; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite absent. Ductus bursae short (length less than twice width); completely sclerotized. Appendix bursae partially sclerotized. Corpus bursae elongate, length greater than twice width; striate convolutions. Signum in apical half of corpus bursae; elongate, length greater than 1.15 mm; almost vertical.
Larva. — See description, p. 109.
Type material. — Noctua dolichos Fabricius. The type is presumed lost (Zimsen 1964). The neotype 8 [USNM, here designated] is labeled: Florida:; N. Key Largo; 28 Nov. 1976; D. C. Ferguson. USNM ENT 00062017. The neotype is designated and labeled to ensure nomenclatural stability in this confusing group of species and is illustrated in Fig. 259. Type locality: U.S.A., Florida, N. Key Largo.
Phalaena commelinae J.E. Smith. The type repository is unknown. Type locality: Georgia, USA.
Phalaena marmorea Sepp. The type repository is unknown. Type locality: Surinam.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following countries: Bahamas, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Tobago, Trinidad, United States, Venezuela, Virgin Islands.
Distribution (Fig. 535). — This species is distributed in the eastern United States from New York south to Florida and west to southern Texas. In the Neotropics it ranges from Mexico through
Central America to South America as far south as Paraguay and southern Brazil. In the Caribbean it has been found from Cuba and Jamaica east to Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico south along the Lesser Antilles to Trinidad and Tobago.

Spodoptera dolichos (Fabricius)
Figs. 145, 160, 492-494 Diagnosis. — The differences between S. dolichos and S. androgea are discussed under the latter. In North America S. dolichos could be confused with S. latifascia. The best character to distinguish these species is the dorsal markings of the metathorax. Spodoptera dolichos has large, trapezoidal markings and S. latifascia has smaller, semicircular markings. These dorsal markings are similar in size on the metathorax and the eighth abdominal segment in S. dolichos, but the metathoracic markings are smaller than those on the eighth abdominal segment in S. latifascia.
Description of preserved specimens. — Head: Color brown; reticulate; frons brown; cutting edge of mandible serrate; P2 setae farther apart than PI setae; ratio ecdysial line: frons height, averages between 0.63-0.84. Thorax: Pronotum with dorsolateral stripe absent or inconspicuous, consisting of only a few faded spots at margins; middorsal stripe wider than dorsolateral stripe. Mesothorax segmental spot trapezoidal; with lateral dark spot absent. Metathorax with segmental spot round; white spot at base of segmental spot; lateral dark spot absent. Abdomen: Body smooth; setal pinacula minute. Middorsal stripe inconspicuous, narrower than dorsolateral stripe. Segmental spots on abdominal segments 7 and 8 larger than on 1-6; narrow on segments 1-6, extending no more than half the distance between dorsolateral and middorsal stripe and large on segments 7 and 8, almost extending to middorsal stripe; spots lacking contrasting marks; spot on 8th abdominal segment subequal in size to that on mesothorax. Segment 1 with lateral dark spot absent (present in 4th and earlier instars). Segments 2-6 with lateral dark spots in spiracular band absent. Spiracular band reticulate; segments 1-6 in spiracular band with white or light colored spot caudal to spiracle absent. Spiracles with black border and brown center; not stalked. Subspiracular stripe continuous through abdominal segment 1. Crochets uniordinal; total number on one side of body greater than 107 (range: 109-156; average: 134.1; n=10).
Color description. — Head brown, fuscous dorsally and with yellowish flecks posteriorly; adfrontal sutures yellowish white and terminating distinctly before reaching occipital foramen. General ground color ocher yellow tinged with glaucous and overlaid to a varying degree with fuscous flecks so general dorsal color varies from very light to very dark gray, usually light gray. Middorsal stripe orange. Dorsolateral band orange, yellow above. Segmental spots indistinct diamond-shaped, fuscous, connected at their lateral angles with a series of jet black spots, linear anteriorly, larger and more triangular posteriorly. Lateral band of dorsal color, darker below. Lateral stripe a broken yellow line. Subspiracular stripe orange, sinuate, with a similar band of white flecks below. Venter dull brownish closely flecked with clear white. Thoracic legs brown, fuscous apically. Prolegs brownish, tinged with pink, shields brownish (Crumb 1929).
Plant hosts. — Seventeen species of plants are recorded as hosts for S. dolichos. Many families are reported, but Solanaceae is the most common with larvae feeding on tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco. Other crops that have been recorded as hosts include turnips, cotton, sweet potatoes, and asparagus.

Spodoptera dolichos, the dolichos armyworm moth or sweetpotato armyworm moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1794. It is found from the southern United States (including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas), south through Costa Rica to South America, as far south as Argentina. In the United States, it may occur as far north as Kentucky and Maryland.

The wingspan is about 40 millimetres (1+5⁄8 in).

The larvae are polyphagous and feed on a wide range of wild and cultivated plants