![]() ![]() The caterpillars of several other insect species display similar group behavior. The larvae’s behavior of congregating and moving in large groups when looking for new food sources is the basis for the name armyworm. Description and life cycle What is in a name? The larvae can feed and complete their development on a wide variety of broadleaf species when large populations deplete their preferred food plants. The larvae, however, feed primarily on grasses and are an infrequent, but significant, pest of cereals including small grains, corn, rice, forage grasses, and turf grasses. Host rangeĪrmyworm adults feed on plant nectar and are not a threat to crops. In Minnesota, annual infestations are the result of adult moths migrating from wintering areas in the south. ![]() The armyworm cannot survive winters with persistent freezing winter temperatures. The highly migratory behavior of the armyworm adults allows them to exploit new geographic areas when weather is suitable. In North America, crop damaging infestations are most often observed east of the Rocky Mountains as far north as southern Canada. It is a member of the moth family Noctuidae, a large group that includes most species of cutworms. The armyworm is native to the Americas, but localized invasive populations have been observed in areas of Europe, Africa, the Mideast, and Asia. Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth, 1809), (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Distribution ![]()
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