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The corn earworm grows to 1-3/4 inches long with a body color that varies from yellow-green to dark brown, to almost black. The head is yellow-orange to brown and the worm has 5 pairs (4+1 pattern) of abdominal prolegs. It curls up when disturbed. Often called podworm, this pest feeds on foliage, blooms, pods, and terminals. Moths prefer to lay eggs in open-canopied, blooming fields. The small larvae feed on blooms and tender foliage, then consume small pods. Damage to large pods is characterized by holes eaten through the pod wall at each seed location. Stem feeding results in wilted terminals hanging from plants. Corn earworm is a major pest throughout the South, particularly in the Coastal Plain. |
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