| Mythimna separata | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Mythimna |
| Species: | M. separata |
| Binomial name | |
| Mythimna separata Walker, 1865 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Northern armyworm, Oriental armyworm or Rice ear-cutting caterpillar (Mythimna separata) is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in China, Japan, Taiwan, South-east Asia, India, Eastern Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific Islands. They term “Armyworm” is used because of their habit to spread out in a line across a lawn or pasture, and slowly “marching” forward, meanwhile consuming the foliage they encounter.
The wingspan is 35-50 mm. The moth flies from January to April depending on the location.
The larvae feed on a range of agricultural plants like Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor and Oryza sativa and are thus considered a pest.