True Armyworm Moth vs Brown Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	True Armyworm Moth	Brown Locust
Scientific Name	Mythimna unipuncta	Locustana pardalina
Order	Lepidoptera	Orthoptera
Family	Noctuidae	Acrididae
Size	35-45 mm wingspan	30-45 mm
Habitat	Farmland	Heathland
Diet	Omnivores	Omnivores
Regions	North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania	South Africa (Karoo region), Namibia
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

True Armyworm Moth

A tawny-brown moth with a single white dot on each forewing. Its larvae march in armies across fields, devastating cereal crops.

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Larvae travel in large groups across the ground like a marching army, hence the common name.

A medium-sized brown locust endemic to southern Africa that periodically swarms in the Karoo region. Nymphs are known as voetgangers (foot walkers).

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Swarms of brown locusts have plagued South African farmers since the 1700s and remain a major agricultural threat.