Order Lepidoptera: Family Noctuidae

Description: Full-grown cutworm larvae are 1.5 to 2 inches long. Coloration will vary among species, but all tend to be stout-bodied caterpillars with four sets of prolegs. They have the tendency to curl into a ball when disturbed.

Hosts: Almost any plant can be attacked in the seedling stage. Cotton and certain vegetables sometimes have stand reductions. Climbing cutworms, such as the granulate cutworm, can be serious foliage feeders on some crops such as peanuts.

Damage: Seedlings are girdled at the soil line, and stands may be significantly reduced in some cases. Foliage and peg damage occur in peanuts.

Life Cycle: Life cycles vary among the different species. Several generations may occur each year, but overwintering larvae and the first generation in the spring are the most damaging. Larvae overwinter in the soil, especially in grassy or weedy situations.

Control: Fall and spring cultivation will help reduce populations of overwintering larvae. Insecticides are effective if applied in a timely manner and directed at the soil around the base of the crop plants.

Cutworm feeding
Photo by: Dale Brown, UGA

Cutworm and damage
Photo by: UGA Archives

Black Cutworm and damage to tobacco
Photo by: David Jones