Beet Armyworm vs Numata Longwing
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Beet Armyworm | Numata Longwing |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Spodoptera exigua | Heliconius numata |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Noctuidae | Nymphalidae |
| Size | 25-30 mm wingspan | 60-75 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Farmland | Forests |
| Diet | Herbivores | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Worldwide warm regions | South America (Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia) |
| 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.
Did You Know?
Young larvae spin fine silk threads that allow them to balloon on the wind to new host plants.
Numata Longwing
A remarkable butterfly that exists in over a dozen wing pattern forms, each mimicking a different species of toxic Melinaea butterfly. Despite their different appearances, all forms belong to the same species. Wing pattern variation is controlled by a supergene on a single chromosome.
Did You Know?
Its wing pattern diversity is controlled by a chromosomal inversion that acts as a supergene, one of the best-studied examples of this genetic mechanism.