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The moths lay eggs on the foliage of the tomato plants. The cycle repeats itself with the moths laying eggs at dusk on host plants on warm days.

The moths emerge from overwintering pupae during late April and May.Īdult moths are usually light yellow-olive in color with a single dark spot near the center of each forewing. In the fall, south of Interstate 70 the pupae survive winter 2-6 inches below the soil surface. During summer adults emerge in 10-14 days and start the cycle over. When the larvae are finished feeding the worms drop to the ground and enter the soil near the base of the plant where they transform into shiny brown pupae. The skin is coarse and has small, thorn-like projections called tubercles. They have tan heads and alternating light and dark stripes run lengthwise on the bodies. The larvae measure 11/2-2 inches when fully grown and may be green, brown, pink, yellow, or even black. Depending on the temperature, the young hatch in 2-10 days.

They are spherical with a flattened base and white or cream in color, developing a reddish-brown band just prior to the young hatching. The eggs of this pest are each about ½ the diameter of a pinhead. Most evidence of corn earworm is at the tip of the ear-damaged kernels, frass, the worm itself, and possibly resulting fungal disease. When the tomato is cut, tunneling is evident and the cavity may contain frass and decay as well as the worm itself. The evidence of tomato fruitworm is usually a visible black hole at the base of the fruit stem. Most populations enter Missouri as migrating swarms of moths from the southern United States. North of Interstate 70 the pupae cannot overwinter in the soil. In warm areas several generations occur annually. The pest occurs throughout the Western Hemisphere.

It has also been known to consume tobacco, legumes, grain sorghum, and other vegetables and fruits. Hence, the species has been given many different common names including cotton bollworm and corn earworm. Tomato fruitworm (Lepidoptera), shown here on pepper ( Capsicum)Ī major agricultural pest, the tomato fruitworm can feed on many different plants.