TOBACCO 



- •.-•-■ ■ . •. 



HOW TO CONTROL THEM 



CUTWORMS 



By F. S. Chamberlin and Norman Allen, entomologists 

 Entomology Research Division, Agricultural Research Service 



Several species of cutworms seri- 

 ously injure tobacco plants. In the 

 spring, particularly, they feed in 

 plant beds and on newly set tobacco, 

 cutting off young plants near the 

 ground and devouring leaves. Re- 

 setting plants adds to the grower's 

 expense and frequently is done too 

 late to produce a satisfactory crop. 



Life History 



Cutworms are the larvae, or 

 young, of stout, dull-colored moths 

 (millers) that fly at night. Each 

 female moth lays from a few hun- 

 dred to as many as 1,500 eggs. Eggs 

 are laid on grass, weeds, or other 

 vegetation. 



The eggs are about half as broad 

 as a pinhead. Moths of most species 

 lay them in batches of several hun- 

 dred, although many species place 

 them singly or only a few together. 

 The eggs hatch in 2 days to 2 weeks. 

 The larvae eat greedily. After they 

 mature, cutworms go into the soil 

 where they hollow out small cham- 

 bers, or cells, in which they change 

 to pupae. The pupae, in turn, 

 transform into moths, which emerge 

 from the soil and lay eggs. 



One to four generations are pro- 

 duced each year. Large cutworms 

 of all the common species are found 

 during April, May, and June. 

 After about the middle of June, 

 there is a lull in their destructive- 



ness; vegetation becomes so abun- 

 dant and various enemies become so 

 active that cutworms seldom cause 

 serious injury. 



Most cutworms hide in the soil 

 during the day and feed at night. 

 On dark, cloudy days you may 

 sometimes see them aboveground. 

 Usually, however, if you are to see 

 them in the daytime, you must 

 search for them in the soil near the 

 plants on which they feed at night. 

 In the soil they are generally in a 

 coiled position. 



Cutworms are destructive only in 

 the larval stage. The adults 

 (moths) have mouth parts for 

 sucking, not for chewing. They 

 feed on nectar and do not injure 

 plants. 



Kinds of Cutworms 



Cutworm species can be divided 

 into three groups according to the 

 season in which they lay their eggs. 

 Some cutworm moths lay their eggs 

 in the spring and some in the fall ; 

 still others lay their eggs through- 

 out most of the year. Most of them 

 cut off newly set plants and feed 

 on leaves that lie near the ground. 

 However, certain species are 

 climbers and eat foliage of high 

 tobacco. 



Those That Lay Eggs in the Spring 



Several cutworm species pass the 

 winter as naked, brown pupae in the 



