It is a common site to shuck an ear of corn, finding the worm eating away at the tip of the corn. They also can also damage corn leaves before the plant has a chance to mature. On tomatoes the worm feeds on the leaves before eating into the green fruit. The corn earworm can also be found doing similar damage on a wide variety of plants. This is the most common corn insect.
Foliage injury occurs before tasseling.
Later generations of moths oviposit on fresh corn silk as it appears. Larvae cut a small hole at the side of the ear, through which they emerge. They drop to the ground to pupate beneath the surface. Each female moth may lay from 1,000 to 3,000 eggs. Winter is passed in the pupal stage in the soil.