Facts about Cutworms
Cutworm is the name for the larvae of many moths of the family Noctuidae (owlet moths). Many noctuid larvae are not cutworms There are many species of cutworms. They get their name from their habit of "cutting" off a seedling at ground level by chewing through the stem. Some species are subterranean and eat roots. Cutworms are usually green, brown, or yellow in color. They are soft-bodied. These larvae, or caterpillars, feed at night on the stems and roots of young plants, often cutting them off near the surface of the ground. They hide in soil by day. An average cutworm feeding on corn consumes 65 sq in. (410 sq cm) of foliage during its development. Most species pupate underground. Many species overwinter in the pupal stage. Many species. Cutworms are dull gray, brown, or black, and may be striped or spotted. They are stout, soft-bodied and smooth, and up to 1 and 1/4 inches long. They curl up tightly when disturbed. They attack a wide variety of field crops in low-lying areas; an average cutworm feeding on corn consumes 65 sq in. (410 sq cm) of foliage during its development. Generally they destroy more of the plant than they eat. Their numbers vary greatly from year to year and, when numerous, may destroy as much as 75% of a crop. Cutworms infact injure plants in four major ways i.e. Solitary surface cutworms cut off young plants at or slightly above or below the soil line, sometimes dropping the severed plants into their burrows, climbing species, usually the variegated and spotted cutworms, climb the stem of trees, shrubs, vines, and crops and eat the leaves, buds and fruit, Subterranean species, particularly the pale western and glassy cutworms, remain in the soil and feed upon roots and underground parts, army cutworms occur in great numbers, consuming the tops of plants and then "marching" on to other fields. Life Cycle: Most cutworms pass the winter as partially grown larvae. Thus they are already large, voracious feeders when transplants and seedlings are set out in the fields. A few species pass the winter as pupae or hibernating moths. Overwintering cutworms may live under trash or bark, in clumps of grass or in earthen cells in the soil. These cutworms become active and begin feeding as the weather warms in spring, remaining hidden under debris or in the soil and feeding at night. Many species continue to feed well through June, then pupate in the soil to emerge later as moths. Normally there is only one generation per year. The moths crawl from their brown pupal cases in the soil and climb up through the soil, following the tunnel made by the burrowing larva. If this tunnel is blocked, the fragile moth cannot escape the soil. Cutworm abundance and development is greatly affected by weather, especially rainfall. The moths mate and lay eggs in late summer, beginning the next generation. The moths often seek out grassy or weedy areas to lay their eggs, which are usually deposited on plant stems or in the soil. One female may lay hundreds of eggs. The hatching larvae feed until cold weather and then hide for the winter in a sheltered, dry place. |
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