Corn earworms feed primarily on the ear tips, so insecticides may not be needed if the tips are discarded before eating. However, sprays every 2 to 3 days beginning at silking may be needed to obtain totally clean ears. The adults are copper-colored with 16 black spots on their backs. Larvae are yellow and covered with spines. The orange-yellow eggs are laid in clusters of 40 to 60 on the undersides of leaves.
Pupae are yellow, smooth, and resemble the head of a cobra.
There are usually three to four generations of Mexican bean beetles per year in Alabama. Hot, dry summers as well as extremely cold winters tend to reduce populations. Feeding begins on the lower surfaces of leaves, but high populations can be seen feeding on all above-ground portions of the plant. These insects scrape leaf tissue into windrows before consuming it. They leave leaf veins undamaged, giving the leaf a skeletonized appearance.