The female lays small, white eggs in rows or groups on leaves of grain or grass. The moth usually folds the leaf lengthwise and fastens the leaf about the eggs with a sticky secretion. The young larvae are pale green in color and have a looping habit when they crawl. Black stripes on the prolegs also are noticeable. Full-grown armyworm larva.
Armyworms pose a threat to wheat growers every year.
In addition, armyworms can injure seedling corn that has been no-tilled into a standing grass cover crop, like rye, in fields that had intense grassy weed pressure at planting time, or even in fields of corn adjacent to fields of wheat that are maturing. Armyworm larva in wheat. Scout for armyworms in wheat in areas of the field where the stand is particularly dense. Look for the larvae by parting the wheat plants and sifting through the litter on the ground. If you find armyworm larvae, make a note, but don't overreact.