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corn earworm
insect
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External Websites
- Agricultural Research Service - Cotton Bollworm
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affrairs - Corn Earworm
- University of California - Corn Earworm
- Integrated Pest Management at the University of Illinois - Corn Earworm
- OzAnimals - Cotton Bollworm
- UF | IFAS Entomology and Nemotology - Corn Earworm
- North Carolina State University - Corn Earworm
Also known as: cotton bollworm, tomato fruitworm, vetch worm
corn earworm, larva of the moth Heliothis zea (in some classifications H. armigera; family Noctuidae). The smooth, fleshy green or brown caterpillars are serious crop pests before they pupate in the soil. Four or five generations of the pale brown adult moths (wingspan 3.5 cm [about 11/3 inches]) are produced annually. The larvae feed largely on corn (maize), especially the small kernels at the tips of the ears, and also damage tomatoes, cotton, and other seasonal crops.