Seedlings of these fall-seeded plants are small when populations of fall armyworm are at seasonal highs. These crops can be severely stunted or killed if fall armyworms feed too far down on these plants. Description and Life Cycle Adult. The front wings are mottled and have white or light gray spots near the tips. The back wings are white with a narrow, smoky-brown edge.
Moths become active at twilight and feed on nectar.
They have an average life span of 2 to 3 weeks. The female moths lay eggs at night in masses of up to several hundred on light-colored surfaces, such as fence rails, tree trunks, and the underside of tree limbs. The eggs are light gray and covered with grayish fuzz from the female's body. These masses darken with age, and the eggs hatch within 2 to 4 days. All the eggs within a mass hatch at about the same time.