Fall armyworm resembles both armyworm and corn earworm, but fall armyworm has a white inverted 'Y' mark on the front of the dark head. Larvae have four pairs of fleshy abdominal prolegs in addition to the pair at the end of the body.

There is a wider dark stripe and a wavy yellow-red blotched stripe on each side. Fall armyworm has a dark head capsule with a light inverted 'Y' marking.įall armyworm larva vary from light tan to black with three light yellow stripes down the back. Larvae hatch in 3 to 5 days and move to the whorl.įigure 1. Egg masses are covered with a coating of moth scales or fine bristles. The spherical gray eggs are laid in clusters 50 to 150, usually on the leaves. Early detection and proper timing of an insecticide application are critical.Įach summer, adult moths move northward in progressive stages from overwinter sites along the gulf coast region and begin to appear in Kentucky in late June or early July. Like European corn borer, fall armyworm can only be effectively controlled while the larvae are small. While fall armyworms can damage corn plants in nearly all stages of development, it will concentrate on later plantings that have not yet silked.

Fall armyworm causes serious leaf feeding damage as well as direct injury to the ear. Late planted fields and later maturing hybrids are more likely to become infested. University of Kentucky College of Agricultureįall armyworm can be one of the more difficult insect pests to control in field corn. ENTFACT-110: Fall Armyworm in Corn | Download PDF by Ric Bessin, Extension Entomologist

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