Beet Armyworm vs Meadow Brown

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Beet Armyworm Meadow Brown
Scientific Name Spodoptera exigua Maniola jurtina
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Nymphalidae
Size 25-30 mm wingspan Wingspan 40-55mm
Habitat Farmland Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Worldwide warm regions Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Beet Armyworm

A small grayish-brown moth whose green caterpillars attack a wide range of vegetable and field crops. Larvae often skeletonize leaves before moving to fruits and growing points.

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Did You Know?

Young larvae spin fine silk threads that allow them to balloon on the wind to new host plants.

Meadow Brown

The most abundant butterfly in Britain, a brown species with a single eyespot on each forewing.

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Did You Know?

So common it is often overlooked but plays a crucial role as a pollinator of wildflowers in grasslands.