Black Cutworm

Contents

Identification

Development Model

Fact Sheet (requires Acrobat Reader 3.x or above to read and print. Click below to download the free "Reader".)

Registered Insecticides

References

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Black Cutworm Larva	Black Cutworm Adult
	Mature larvae are 30 to 40 mm long. The body is gray with a lighter brownish colored stripe down the back. The head is dark brown or black.  Larvae are sometimes called the "greasy cutworm" because they resemble a drop of lubricating grease.  Adults have a wingspan of about 35 mm.   Adults are brownish-gray with a light silvery band on the wings. Black cutworm overwinters as a pupa East of the Cascade mountians.   Adults emerge in April and begin laying eggs. Larvae feed beneath the soil or at the surface during late March, April, May and early June.  Adults of the second generation emerge in August and September.  There are two overlapping generations each year.
Black Cutworm Adult	View the Fact Sheet for More Information

This section contains information on identification of black cutworm in peppermint.  The Fact Sheet contains specific information on identifcation and biology of this pest (requires Acrobat Reader).  Black cutworm and redbacked cutworm may occur at the same time East of the Cascade Mountains.  See redbacked cutworm for information on sampling for black cutworm.