Cutworm

Cutworm
Related Category: Zoology: Invertebrates
name for the larvae of many moths of the family Noctuidae (owlet moths).

They also eat carrion, grubs, insects, particularly army cutworm moths (Noctuidae) and ladybird beetles (Coccinelidae), fish, small rodents, various bird species, and garbage [39].

Diet: Grasshoppers and their eggs, grubs, cutworms. Habitat (where it lives): Variety of grassland habitats.

In Yellowstone and Glacier National parks in particular, they rely heavily on army cutworm moths as a source of protein during the months of July to September.

It also eats beetles and cutworm larvae. In its winter range, it eats marine worms, grasshoppers, horseshoe crab eggs and other invertebrates.

The pine beauty moth (Panolis flammea) is a common cutworm found in Britain pine woodlands; it is considered a forest pest. The wings are mottled brown, tan, and white - the body is fuzzy and light brown (it is camouflaged on pine bark).

Japanese beetles, June bugs, slugs, cutworms, ants, potato beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, various other worms, even gypsy moths and fruit tree pest. In 1904, Boston entomologist A. H. Kirkland estimated that a single toad was worth $19.

Feeds on insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars, cutworms, and grubs during the spring, and weeds and waste grains during the winter.

This shrew is thought to feed largely on both larval and adult insects; captive specimens have eaten a wide variety of food including mealworms, cutworms, crickets, cockroaches, houseflies, grasshoppers, moths, beetles, earwigs, centipedes, ...

McEwen LC, Deweese LR & Schladweiler P. (1986). Bird Predation on Cutworms Lepidoptera Noctuidae in Wheat Fields and Chlorpyrifos Effects on Brain Cholinesterase Activity. Environmental Entomology. vol 15, no 1. p. 147-151.

The Great Plains toad is a farmer's friend because it eats cutworms and other crop pests. It also will eat earthworms and a variety of insects. It mainly hunts at night.
Predators ...

This beetle is a friend to farmers and gardeners. It feeds on insect pests that plague crops and bedding plants, including cutworms and caterpillars. Pedunculate ground beetles live in a variety of habitats, from prairies to forests to dry scrubland.

However, moles are also useful. They eat many pests which are harmful to plant roots, such as leatherjackets, wireworms and cutworms. Their tunnelling helps to aerate the soil which is important to waterlogged areas.

In Alberta there are approaching 675 species of Owlet moths. Some of the well-known groups include the beautiful Underwing Moths, the Dagger moths, Cutworms, Darts, Armyworms and many others.

Topic: Animals