Fall armyworm tends to feed on grasses including field and
sweet corn and sudan
grass. The caterpillars of FAW can be
recognized by the inverted 'Y' marking on the head. The body is generally brown with light and dark
stripes and a yellowish stripe just above the base of the legs extending the
whole body. The head is reddish brown.
Beet armyworm tends to feed on broadleaf crops, especially
peppers, tomatoes and spinach. It can be
recognized by its general green color with a pale yellow stripe above the base
of the legs extending the length of its body.
Below this stripe the caterpillar is yellow or greenish yellow and above
the stripe it is green. There is a
distinct oval black spot on either side of the caterpillar close to the head.
In addition to these insects there has been an increase in
the yellow-striped armyworm population in south Jersey. This caterpillar feeds on a wide range of
vegetable crops. It is usually a
secondary pest but at times can be locally abundant. This caterpillar is black with bright yellow
stripes extending the length of the body. The head is brown.
Controls for these pests are essentially the same now as in
later in the season. What will be the
greatest problem is that some farmers may be caught off guard by their early
appearance.
