Fall Armyworm Life CycleĪdult fall armyworms usually lay eggs on flat leaves of trees and flowers or even on patio furniture and light posts.Įach female can lay egg masses containing up to 500 eggs. The adult moths have 1-inch long bodies with a 1.5-inch wingspan, a tan body and a tiny white spot centered on each front wing.
Their larvae are 1-inch to 1.5-inches long and dark greenish-brown to black with long, white, orange, and dark brown stripes along the abdomen. You’re probably wondering what these hungry armyworm caterpillars look like. They do this by hitching a ride on air currents and then dropping down and settling in where they land.Įarly feeding damage looks like drought-stressed grass, but can quickly progress to complete browning if there are a lot of fall armyworms present. They also could have moved with a storm front that came from the south and stretched north, researchers say. What Are Armyworms?įall armyworms usually infest lawns in southern and transition zone states, so their spread to new areas like the Midwest and Northeast might be linked to climate change, particularly a warming climate. Let’s learn more about this fleet of feeding pests and what you can do about them. The fall armyworm gets its name from its behavior of moving across fields in an army-like fashion, leaving dead grass in their wake. They are infesting lawns along the Southeast, as well as stretching into areas as far west as Texas and as far north as Michigan. Although called worms, they are actually caterpillars of a moth. What are these tiny troops made of? Fall armyworms. In fact, entomologists say they’ve never seen the problem this widespread. this year in greater numbers than usual, and they’re after one thing: your lawn. You might not be able to hear the marching, but there are troops invading some yards across the U.S.
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