Each forewing has a dark spot near the center. Eyes are usually light green. Larva - The five to six larval instars vary greatly in color. Newly hatched larvae are about 1.5 mm long and yellowish-white with dark head capsules.
All instars have five pairs of fleshy prolegs.
Color plate . It is a major soybean pest in the southern United States and has been found as far north as Saskatchewan. It has recently been introduced into the Hawaiian Islands. The most severe damage in North Carolina annually occurs in the Coastal Plain area. During late summer, soybeans become one of the corn earworm's primary host crops.