CUTWORMS: Noctuidae

ADULT: Large bodied moths with various dark patterns over light to medium brown or gray base color of fore wings. Rear wings are dirty white with veins and wing margins darker. Various spots on wings are named and used in species diagnosis.

EGG: Deposited on field debris, stubble or leaves.

LARVA: Larvae tend to curl up into a ring when disturbed or handled. They may also bite and release a greenish-brown fluid. They feed on leaves and stems of mostly young plants. Older larvae (4th instar and later) can reach 2 in. in length and can cut plants off at their bases and drag them to their burrow in soil.  Sutures on front of head form an inverted "V".  Larvae have 3 pairs of true legs and five pairs of prolegs.

PUPA: Pupate in chamber in soil.

DAMAGE: Larvae consume leaves and may completely cut the young plants off at their base resulting in stand loss.

CONTROL: Natural enemies such as parasitic wasps, flies and predacious ground beetles can exert tremendous control pressure that may approach 80%.  However, seedlings emerging in fields without resident natural enemy populations can experience significant stand loss from first generation cutworms.  Adult populations can be monitored with black light and pheromone traps. Seedling corn should be scouted as frequently as twice per week to detect cutworms or their damage, particularly in areas known for this pest. Weedy fields quickly rotated to corn have higher potential for stand loss due to older larvae cutting off the emerging plants.  Pesticides are available for pre-plant broadcast, at-plant banded and post-emergence applications. Formulations, rates, and pre-harvest intervals of insecticides for cutworm control are listed below for sweet corn (Table 1) and field corn (Table 2).