Adults are moths approximately 1 inch long with a wing span of 1.25 to 2 inches and vary widely in coloration. Eggs are somewhat flattened on top, white to dull or off-white in color, and ribbed. They are generally deposited in massed rows. Eggs may be deposited on crop foliage, but are frequently found on weeds. Fully grown larvae range from 1 to 1.75 inches in length.
Cutworms are most active and cause the most damage during spring and early summer months.
The larvae normally hide under debris on the soil surface during the day, but are active, voracious feeders at night. Some cutworms climb into the host plant to feed, but many stay on the ground, cutting seedling host plants off at or just below the soil surface. Usually, it is necessary to dig in the soil to find cutworm larvae and to determine the extent of the infestation and the size of the cutworms involved. Frequently, the damage is most serious at the edges of a field, but stand loss can occur in a spotty pattern throughout the field. Eliminate weeds 2 weeks prior to planting both within and adjacent to the field to minimize cutworm problems.