Sleepy Orange vs Beet Armyworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Sleepy Orange Beet Armyworm
Scientific Name Eurema nicippe Spodoptera exigua
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pieridae Noctuidae
Size 35-50 mm wingspan 25-30 mm wingspan
Habitat Wetlands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America, Central America Worldwide warm regions
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Sleepy Orange

Bright orange butterfly with irregular black borders and a small dark spot on the forewing. Named for a sleepy-eye-shaped mark.

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Did You Know?

The name refers to a small mark on the forewing underside that resembles a half-closed eye.

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.