It also is a serious pest of tobacco and cotton. It has been given the name corn earworm, tomato fruitworm, cotton bollworm, and soybean podworm. Corn attacked by the corn earworm will show the ears with masses of moist castings at the end, and the kernels, especially about the tip of the ear, eaten down to the cob by the larvae. The presence of the worms in ears of sweet corn is most repulsive to consumers and very troublesome to commercial canners. The injured tips of the sweet corn can be cut off of corn grown for home use.
Corn earworms typically gnaw their way into the fruit of tomatoes, eggplants, etc.
Consult the Clemson University Agricultural Chemicals Handbook for specific control recommendations.