Lepidopteran Pests: Family Noctuidae

This chapter describes cutworms and armyworms. The popular names cutworm and armyworm describe larval habits of certain caterpillars. In many vegetable and field crops, cutworms sever young plants at or near ground level and proceed to the next plant to repeat the process. This feeding pattern contributes greatly to the highly destructive nature of these insects. In turfgrasses, cutworms may sever grass stems, but they usually feed on grass stems and leaves, which causes thinning of turf or “pockmarks,” which appear as sunken areas where the grass blades and stems have been eaten down to the thatch. The chapter then looks at the black cutworm, the variegated cutworm, the winter cutworm, the bronzed cutworm, the fall armyworm, the yellow-striped armyworm, and the lawn armyworm.

A note on the chronic effects of tall oil on the variegetd cutworm, Peridroma saucia [Lepidoptera : Noctuidae]

Chronic effects of tall oil, a by-product of the kraft pulping process of softwoods, on the variegated cutworm, Peridroma saucia, were assessed via incorporation into artificial diet. At a dietary concentration of 1.5% fresh weight, depitched tall oil (DTO) significantly reduced P. saucia weight, prolonged developmental time, and increased mortality in different stages. A significant linear relationship was found between dietary concentration of DTO and ail developmental parameters tested. A diet-shift experiment clearly demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of DTO to P. saucia is persistent and not readily alleviated by transferring larvae to untreated diet. DTO may be a useful natural agent for pest management.