B, Egg mass. Cutworms are found throughout the United States. Besides field and vegetable crops, some of the plants attacked by cutworms are aster, carnation, chrysanthemum, dahlia, gladiolus, marigold, nasturtium, pansy, rose, violet and zinnia. Damage - Many cutworms prefer wilted plant material and cut the plants a night ahead. Stems are chewed off near the soil.
Some cutworms climb the host and feed on unopened buds.
Cutworms are caterpillars that feed on the stems and leaves of young plants and often cut them off near the soil line, hence their common name. Although there are many important species of cutworms, the black, granulate and variegated cutworms are particularly destructive to flowers. Each cutworm differs slightly from the others in details of habits and appearance, but their life histories are generally similar. Adults and larvae are nocturnal and hide during the day but become active on cloudy days. The overwintering forms of cutworms occur in the soil either as pupae or mature larvae.