armyworms
Marching field pests
Armyworms are caterpillars that travel in large groups, devouring crops and grass as they go.
The name comes from their habit of moving together in masses like an advancing army, stripping fields bare before moving on.
Several moth species produce armyworms, and outbreaks can devastate lawns, pastures, and grain crops: The armyworms destroyed half the corn crop overnight.
Sudden eruption of trouble
- swarmMass of moving insects
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- plagueDeadly epidemic disease
- migrationMovement to new territory
surge · spread · wave · marching · nocturnal · masses · population · explosion
Immature metamorphosing creatures
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- mothNight-flying lepidopteran
- pupaInsect's resting stage
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
instar · molt · egg · adult · lepidoptera · hatchling · cocoon · emergence
Cultivated plants for harvest
- maizeCob-bearing cereal crop
- cornCereal grown on cobs
- wheatCereal crop for flour
- sorghumWarm-climate cereal grass
rice · barley · oats · millet · pasture · forage · turf · lawn
Loss of foliage
- feedingGiving food to
- destructionAct of completely ruining
- skeletonizingReducing to structural remains
- chewingCrushing food orally
stripping · devastation · loss · frass · notching · bare · stubble · holes
Agent destroying harmful organisms
- insecticideToxic agent targeting pests
- sprayingDispersing liquid as mist
- biologicalRelating to living organisms
- parasitoidHost-dependent killer organism
predator · monitoring · scouting · threshold · integrated · management · pheromone · trap
outbreak
Sudden eruption of trouble
migration · surge · spread · wave · marching · nocturnal · masses · population · explosion · movement
larvae
Immature metamorphosing creatures
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- mothNight-flying lepidopteran
- pupaInsect's resting stage
metamorphosis · instar · molt · egg · adult · lepidoptera · hatchling · cocoon · emergence · generation
crops
Cultivated plants for harvest
sorghum · rice · barley · oats · millet · pasture · forage · turf · lawn · grasses
defoliation
Loss of foliage
- feedingGiving food to
- destructionAct of completely ruining
- skeletonizingReducing to structural remains
chewing · stripping · devastation · loss · frass · notching · bare · stubble · holes · wilting
pesticide
Agent destroying harmful organisms
- insecticideToxic agent targeting pests
- sprayingDispersing liquid as mist
- biologicalRelating to living organisms
parasitoid · predator · monitoring · scouting · threshold · integrated · management · pheromone · trap · natural enemies
- Lepidopterabutterflies, moths, monarch, cocoons, chrysalis
- crop pestsaphids, aphid, beetles, cutworms, caterpillars
- crop problemsblight, drought damage, crop disease, root rot, wilting
- garden problemsaphids, beetles, blight, mildew, rot
- larvaelarvae, larva, caterpillar, caterpillars, maggot
- plant pestsaphids, aphid, caterpillar, mealybugs, mites
armywormsbeneficial insects
Arthropods aiding agriculture
pollinators · natural predators · parasitic wasps · ladybugs · honeybees