Fall Armyworms Marching Across Pastures, Lawns, Soybeans

Aug 20, 2015

By Mary Hightower

Fast facts

Fall armyworms reported in lawns, soybeans, pastures
Management information also in Extension fact sheet FSA7083, ‘Managing Armyworms in Pastures and Hayfields.” http://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-7083.pdf

Fall armyworms are on the march again, making lawns and pastures seem to disappear overnight.

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ADVANCING — Armyworms are on the move in Arkansas, and have recently been noticed in multiple counties, (Photo by Photo by Jeff Ingram.)

Kami Marsh, Faulkner County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, spent a good part of Monday fielding calls about this annual caterpillar plague.

“Anyone with a lawn, plus cattle and hay producers, should be scouting for these worms,” Marsh said. “They will feed on a variety of forage crops, but often prefer lush bermudagrass.”

Morning and evening are the best times to scout for fall armyworms, since those are the times they are most active.

Newly hatched fall armyworms are light green or cream-colored with a dark head and measures about one-sixteenth of an inch long. As it grows, it becomes darker in color and the head has a light colored “Y”-shaped mark down the front. In addition, the next-to-last abdominal segment has four small dark dots. A fully grown fall army worm is about 1.5 inches long.

Source:uaex.edu

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