Caribbean Armyworm Moth

Spodoptera pulchella (Herrich-Schaffer)
Figs. 162, 519-521
Diagnosis. — S. pulchella has a prominent brown lateral spot on the first abdominal segment with a conspicuous white dot caudad to the spiracle. There are no dorsal abdominal markings on the first segment and those on the second segment can be missing or are very narrow. The frons is brown in contrast to the lighter colored head.
Description of preserved specimens. — Head: Color brown; not reticulate; frons dark 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 conspicuous, either solid or consisting of closely spaced spots and dashes; middorsal stripe narrower than dorsolateral stripe. Mesothorax with segmental spot trapezoidal; with lateral dark spot absent. Metathorax with segmental spot absent; 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; with narrow white dashes; on 8th abdominal segment larger than on mesothorax. Segment 1 with lateral dark spot present.
Segments 2-6 without lateral dark spots in spiracular band. Spiracular band reticulate; segments 1-6 in spiracular band with white or light colored spot caudal to spiracle present. 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.
Plant hosts. — The only known host plant is cotton from Puerto Rico (Fife 1939).
Color description. — Only known from preserved specimens.

Spodoptera pulchella (Herrich-Schaffer)
Figs. 75, 88, 119, 162, 300, 336, 366, 398, 430, 462, 519-521, 543
Laphygma pulchella Herrich-Schaffer 1868: 116.
Prodenia exquisita Moschler 1886: 41.
Prodenia pulchella; Draudt 1926: 255.
Spodoptera pulchella; Todd and Poole 1980: 730; Fran-
clemont & Todd 1983: 141; Poole 1989: 925; Poole &
Gentili 1996: 774.
Diagnosis. — Most similar to the female of S. ornithogalli. Forewing with a broad white line running along Cu vein from antemedial to postmedial line (Fig. 300), and male genitalia with apex of sacculus closer to apex of valve than in S. ornithogalli; coremata with 2 lobes of almost equal size (compare Figs. 365 and 366). Female genitalia with corpus bursae round and striations straight 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 (black markings can be weakly developed); apical segment cream mixed with rufous scales. Frons with short scales cream; long scales cream and rufous, or
light brown; lateral spots at eye margin rufous (can form into a bar); vertex cream (suffused with brown or rufous). Antenna filiform; scape cream; flagellum cream.
Thorax: Patagium brown with variably distinct black basal band, thin dark rufous median band and a wider white band adjacent to it, thin white apical margin. Tegula with longer scales around edge brown to dark rufous, with oblique banding of black, brown, and white. Mesothorax light brown and white. Underside of thorax white to cream. Prothoracic femur cream and rufous; tibia with lateral scale tufts not extending beyond first tarsal segment, cream (can have fuscous scales present), subapical spot black; tarsal segments cream. Mesothoracic femur cream and rufous; tibia cream and rufous (infuscated with black), inner spur more than twice length of outer spur, mediolateral surface broadly devoid of scales on both spurs; tarsal segments cream. Metathoracic femur cream and rufous; tibia cream and rufous; tarsal segments cream.
Forewing: Length, 14-15 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 on apical end; basal half circle scale patch below Cu vein light brown bordered by black; antemedial line absent; 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 bordered by black along posterior margin; orbicular spot an oblique trapezoid, white to cream, with a light brown to pale gray center, bordered by a thin line of black scales distally; reniform spot brown in basal half, apical half elongate, white, centered with light brown, outlined in black; white scales along Cu vein from orbicular spot to junction of veins M3 and CuAl which extend down veins M3, CuAl, and CuA2 to postmedial line; postmedial line black, sinuous, bordered by white below M3 vein; 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 crescent-shaped spots
along outer margin; fringe gray. Underside ground color light brown to pale gray; outer margin with black crescent-shaped spots; reniform spot gray.
Hindzving: Ground color white; apex, outer margin to vein CuA2, and distal ends of veins Rs to CuA2 with light brown scales; fringe rufous at apex becoming white toward anal veins. Underside ground color white; costal cells C and Sc cream speckled with brown 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 slightly bent at middle
at base of costa on inner edge; perpendicular to costa of valve. Cucullus apex truncate; not produced. Anellifer with lightly sclerotized plate bearing setae present. Ampulla elongate, slightly curved with a decurved apex; extending to just below apex of valve (Figs. 336, 366). Clasper proper absent. Clavus short, round, covered with setae. Sacculus widest at one-third its length, distal half narrow, constant width; apex truncate. Valvula wider than valve; well differentiated from valve, apex free; apex truncate; indentation small, ventral margin slightly curved. 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 U-shaped with parallel arms and a robust base. Aedoeagus straight; coecum equal in diameter to shaft; patch of spines absent on apex of membranous sheath surrounding aedoeagus. Vesica perpendicular to aedoeagus; moderately elongate, 0.75-1.0 length of aedoeagus; apicobasal cornutal patch quadrate; short, extending just beyond apex of aedoeagus; cornuti composed of short spines; lateral cornutal patch an ovate area; composed of large spines; dense cornutal patch subapical on vesica; distal cornutus an ovate plate with large spines at apex.
Adult Female. — Essentially as described for male except:
Forewing: Length, 13-17 mm.
Abdomen: Fine dense scales on 8th segment gray.
Genitalia: Ventral plate of ostium bursa with height greater than width; distal margin Ushaped; ventrolateral invaginated pocket of 8th sternite large, well developed laterally. Ductus bursae short (length less than twice width); completely sclerotized. Appendix bursae partially sclerotized. Corpus bursae bulbous, length less than twice width; striate convolutions. Signum in apical half of corpus bursae; elongate, length greater than 1.15 mm; forming less than a 30 degree angle to vertical axis of corpus bursae.
Larva. — See description, p. 115.
Type material. — Laphygma pnlchella HerrichSchaffer. The syntypes are deposited in Museo Zoologico Cubano, Havana, Cuba. Type locality: Havana; Cuba.
Prodenia exquisita Moschler. The syntypes are in Museum fur Naturkunde der Humboldt University, Berlin. Type locality: Jamaica.
Material Examined. — Specimens were examined from the following countries: Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, United States.
Distribution (Fig. 543). — This is an uncommon species that occurs from the Florida Keys and Bahamas, south to Cuba, Cayman Islands, and Jamaica, and east to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Spodoptera pulchella, the Caribbean armyworm moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae found in Florida and Texas, Central America, the Greater Antilles, and the Bahamas. It was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1868.

The wingspan is about 35 mm. Adults have a distinctive curved white line along the posterior margin of the forewing.