Unlike the bronzed cutworm, armyworm larvae do not have a metallic sheen.
Armyworms also differ in their feeding behaviour.
The eggs are greenish-white and laid in clusters. Smaller than the head of a pin, they look like tiny white beads. Viewed from the side, they have long, pale white, pale orange and dark brown stripes along the length of the abdomen. Viewed from the front, the head capsule has 2 inverted crescents. Another distinguishing feature for the larvae is that each proleg has a dark band on its outer side.