|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
cutworm
cutworm name for the larvae of many moths of the family Noctuidae (owlet moths). These larvae, or caterpillars, feed at night on the stems and roots of young plants, often cutting them off near the surface of the ground. They hide in soil by day. They attack a wide variety of field crops in low-lying areas; an average cutworm feeding on corn consumes 65 sq in. (410 sq cm) of foliage during its development. Most species pupate (see insect ) underground. Many species overwinter in the pupal stage, the adults emerging in the spring and laying eggs from which the larvae hatch in summer. The number of generations occurring during the summer varies with the species and the climate. Cutworms are classified in the phylum Arthropoda , class Insecta, order Lepidoptera, family Noctuidae. |
|
|
Cite this article
"cutworm." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cutworm." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cutworm.html "cutworm." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cutworm.html |
|
cutworm
cut·worm / ˈkətˌwərm/ • n. a moth caterpillar (family Noctuidae) that lives in the upper layers of the soil and eats through the stems of young plants at ground level. |
|
|
Cite this article
"cutworm." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cutworm." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cutworm.html "cutworm." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cutworm.html |
|
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
