The adult moth of the brown cutworm is an indicator that cutworm eggs could be in your soil. Photo Credit: /gailhampshire on Flickr Creative Commons. They are usually brown or gray, and get to be about 1½ inches long with a 1½-inch wing length. Keep an eye out for the adults, because the females will lay eggs in dry soil after they mate. They are mottled brown and have a faint white stripe down their backs.Īdult cutworms are moths of dark wing colors. Variegated cutworms, Peridroma saucia saucia, are another common species. They have small dark spots on their bodies and mature into the dark sword-grass moth. They tend be curled up when they are not on the move. Cutworms are stealthy, and tend to feed only at night, hiding during daylight hours.īlack cutworms, Agrotis ipsilon, are one of the most common cutworms. They are also partial to cloudy days.ĭifferent species range in color from grey, pink, green and black and can be as long as two inches.

Cutworms feed on a wide variety of vegetables and flowers, so any young seedlings or transplants will be susceptible. To identify cutworms, try patrolling your garden at dusk or during the evening and inspect around the bases of plants.

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