Description:
Adult: light olive to brownish olive, with a wingspan of about 1.3 inches. Each forewing has three slanted, dark bands. Hind wings are white with dark margins.
Larvae: yellowish white to greenish, reddish brown, or black, with brown heads and pale stripes running lengthwise on the body. Up to 1.7 inches long.

Host: Tobacco, cotton, soybeans, wild hosts including deergrass and toadflax. Does not infest corn.

Damage: Feed on foliage, vegetative buds, flower buds, and fruiting bodies. Foliar damage is often insignificant.

Life Cycle: Overwinter as pupae in the top 2-4 inches of soil. Adults emerge from late April to mid-May. Eggs laid singly on leaves or buds; each female may lay up to 1000 eggs. Eggs hatch in 2-4 days and feed near the egg site. Then they move into the bud region of the plant and feed for about 3 weeks. Budworms pupate in the soil for about 2 weeks. Life cycle about 4-5 weeks. Several generations per year.

Tobacco Budworm moth
Photo by: Phillip Roberts, UGA

Tobacco Budworm damage on terminal
Photo by: David Adams, UGA

Large Tobacco Budworm on Tobacco
Photo by: David Jones, UGA

Tobacco Budworm moth on cotton
Photo by: David Jones, UGA