Light and dark stripes along sides and back. When insect occurs on tomatoes, it is called the tomato fruitworm.
Damage is worst in warm, coastal areas.
Throughout United States. Overwintering occurs in the pupal stage in soil. Each female can lay up to 3000 eggs, which hatch in two to ten days. When larvae emerge after two to five days, they feed on whorls and developing grains. Corn earworm larvae are cannibals and will eat one another, until often, only one larva remains per ear.