How do I identify an armyworm?

Published by Anaya Cole on

How do I identify an armyworm?

Armyworm Identification Armyworm bodies have a series of green, yellow, red or brown stripes down their sides and backs. Adult armyworm moths measure about 1 1/2 inches across. Their front wings are dark gray with light and dark splotches, but their hind wings are pale gray-white.

What do army worms look like as moths?

Adult moths (Figure 3) are generally gray in color, with a 1½-inch wingspan and white underwings. Forewings are mottled with flecks of white, and males may have a triangular white spot near the wing tip, and another spot in the middle of the wing.

What kind of moth do army worms turn into?

white-speck moth
Typically greyish-green or greyish-brown, the common armyworms have long, dark stripes along their bodies. The adult form, the white-speck moth, has fine black dots along its wing tip, and the center of the wings has whitish spots that give it its name.

What do armyworms look like?

Armyworms are the larvae of a tiny brownish-gray moth. They are known to destroy a variety of agricultural crops, like maize, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, and sorghum.

What does a lawn look like that has armyworms?

Army worms damage typically appears as a small patch of light-brown, straw-like grass, often along the outer edge of the lawn. However, thanks to their army-like strength, this damage will rapidly expand radially across the lawn, with the complete decimation of the lawn in a matter of nights.

What is the difference between an armyworm and a cutworm?

Although damage is similar, armyworms are distinct from cutworms in their behavior. While cutworms are usually solitary feeders, armyworm eggs are laid in masses and larvae will feed as a group.

What causes armyworm infestation?

The change in feeding habit is caused by depletion of green leaf material or crowding. In the unusual event of extreme food depletion and crowding, they will ‘march’ out of crops and pastures in search of food, which gives them the name ‘armyworm’.

What is the difference between cutworm and armyworm?

Larvae can grow up to 2 inches (5 cm) long and typically curl up and lie still when disturbed. Although damage is similar, armyworms are distinct from cutworms in their behavior. While cutworms are usually solitary feeders, armyworm eggs are laid in masses and larvae will feed as a group.

Are army worms and webworms the same?

Sod webworms are the smaller of the two species, reaching a length of about ¾ inch. Armyworms grow to ½ inch in length. Both of these caterpillars are greenish when young, turning brown at maturity. Armyworms generally have a light mid-stripe along their back with darker bands on either side of the mid-stripe.

What is the difference between cutworms and armyworms?

What type of grass do armyworms like?

The Fall Armyworm Their scientific name is Spodoptera frugiperda. They plague many agricultural crops, but prefers grass including Bermuda, Fescue, Rye and Bluegrass.

Do army worms make webs in grass?

Armyworm Damage Armyworms harm virtually all turf grasses by chewing the plant tissue and creating ugly web patterns in the leaves. The armyworm larvae strip foliage in one area of the lawn and move, usually all together, to the next source of food.

Are there beet armyworms in Missouri?

The beet armyworm, S. exigua (Hübner), is an exotic species that was brought into the United States from Asia. It is capable of overwintering (pupal stage) in Missouri, and the moths emerge in May.

What does an armyworm look like in Missouri?

A large, single dark spot at the base of each fleshy, abdominal proleg (Figure 1a). The yellowstriped armyworm, Spodoptera ornithogalli (Guenée), overwinters in the pupal stage in Missouri, and adults begin emerging in April and May. Generally, there are three to four generations per year in Missouri.

Where do you find armyworms in the US?

True Armyworms are mostly found east of the Rocky Mountains. First sightings of damage from armyworms are often reported in the southernmost parts of the southeastern U.S. Cutworms are a similar pest that grows through a caterpillar-like larvae phase before transforming into a moth.

What does an armyworm look like on a caterpillar?

As caterpillars, armyworms are mostly dark brown, black, or green in color, with long stripes of white, orange, brown, or sometimes yellow running the length of their bodies. They have a distinctive upside-down “Y” marking on their head segments that makes them easy to identify.