Pine Hawk-moth vs Beet Armyworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pine Hawk-moth Beet Armyworm
Scientific Name Sphinx pinastri Spodoptera exigua
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Sphingidae Noctuidae
Size 70-87 mm wingspan 25-30 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Omnivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, temperate Asia Worldwide warm regions
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Pine Hawk-moth

A sleek grey hawk-moth with dark streaks that provide perfect camouflage against pine bark. It is strongly associated with conifer plantations and native pinewoods.

💡

Did You Know?

When resting on a pine trunk, its streamlined body and bark-like colouring make it almost impossible to spot.

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.