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Home > Bugs > Bugs Found in Yards and Lawns > Armyworms

Armyworms—Mythimna unipuncta (formerly Pseudaletia unipuncta)

Armyworms get their name from their behavior of moving across fields in an army-like fashion. As larvae consume available food sources, they migrate as an army to new host plants. Though they feed primarily on grasses (oats, wheat, fall rye, corn, barley, and forage grasses), they can be a pest of some vegetables (bean, cabbage, carrot, onion, pea, pepper, radish and sweet potato).

 

armyworm moth larva armyworm moth larva armyworm moth adult
Armyworm larvae vary in color from dark greenish-brown to black. On each side, there are long, pale white, orange, and dark brown stripes along the length of the abdomen. Mature larvae are approximately 1½ inches long. The armyworm moth, approximately an inch long with a 1½ inch wingspan, is tan to light brown, with a tiny white spot centered on each forewing.

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[Photos, left to right: Frank Peairs, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org; North Carolina Forest Service Archive, Bugwood.org; Natasha Wright, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org]

 
It is the policy of the State of Maine to minimize reliance on pesticides. The Maine Department of Agriculture and the Maine IPM Council encourage everyone to practice integrated pest management and to use pesticides only as a last resort. The mention of pesticides in the fact sheets linked to these pages does not imply an endorsement of any product. Be sure that any product used is currently registered and follow all label directions.