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cutworm
Sign in to savethumb|right|220px|The cutworm larva of the large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it down, hence the name cutworm. Cutworms are not worms, biologically speaking, but caterpillars.
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Feeding and hiding
- Species and habits
- Appearance and control
- Natural enemies
- References
thumb|right|220px|The cutworm larva of the large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it down, hence the name cutworm. Cutworms are not worms, biologically speaking, but caterpillars.
==Feeding and hiding== Cutworm larvae vary in their feeding behaviour; some remain with the plant they cut down and feed on it, while others often move on after eating a small amount from a felled seedling; such a wasteful mode of feeding results in disproportionate damage to crops. Cutworms accordingly are serious pests to gardeners in general, but to vegetable and grain farmers in particular. For example, it has been suggested that in South Africa, Agrotis segetum is the second worst pest of maize.