This pest is widespread and found in tomato fields every year. In some areas it may be the most important caterpillar attacking tomato. In processing tomatoes, feeding is superficial and little loss would result for paste or juice uses if not for decay organisms that enter wounds and rot the fruit.
Damage is problematic for whole pack or diced uses.
Check with processor for acceptable levels of armyworm scarred fruit. In fresh market tomatoes, the presence of such holes results in unmarketable fruit. The caterpillars occasionally develop inside the fruit, causing damage similar to that of the tomato fruitworm. In processing tomatoes, begin sampling fruit when it has reached 1 inch or more in diameter. Treatment is not necessary prior to this size as the damaged fruit will fall from the plant and little yield loss will occur.