It is a somewhat sporadic pest because it is mostly migratory with few individuals surviving the winter in northern states like Pennsylvania. Black Cutworm Moth © Ian Kimber Life Historyīlack cutworm has three generation per year. Black cutworm caterpillar © Shepard, Carner and Ooi įigure 2. The forewings also have an irregular whitish band that extends across the wings and is just off the tip of the dagger-like markings (Figure 2).įigure 1. They are brownish in color and their forewings have small but distinct black dagger-like markings that extend distally (i.e., toward the end of the wing) from bean-shaped wing spots. The moths are relatively large compared to similar species and have wingspans of 40-55 mm (1.5-2.0 inches). Magnification to five times or more is needed for this characteristic to be readily seen. The skin texture consists of convex, rounded, coarse granules with smaller granules interspaced between. The texture of the skin is characteristic and distinguishes them from all other cutworms. There is a pale rather indistinct narrow stripe along the center of the back (Figure 1). Their color ranges from gray to nearly black. Newly hatched larvae are about a quarter inch long and grow to be about two inches long when full sized. Nevertheless, it warrants attention because losses can be severe if it infests fields at the right time. While black cutworm has the potential to be a very serious pest, it is sporadic with major outbreaks being relatively rare (1980 was a particularly bad year in Pennsylvania with at least 5,000 acres of corn being decimated). It will also attack some vegetable crops, including sweet corn, and can be problematic in turf grasses. In Pennsylvania field crops, it is most often a pest of corn, but can also cause trouble in wheat and tobacco.

The black cutworm is a cosmopolitan pest that poses an economic threat to many agricultural plant species.

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