Friend AND Foe!..... Its complicated....

Armyworms encompass several different species who all share the name Armyworm but vary slightly. They get the name from their invasion-like arrival in your garden and the destruction that they bring. However, the name is slightly misleading as they are actually caterpillars not worms. It seems that if a caterpillar does not change into a beautiful butterfly, they often get called worms. This is the case with the Armyworm which eventually becomes a moth.

So how can these CATERPILLARS be both friend and foe in the garden? Simply put, the caterpillars are a garden foe but the moth is a garden friend. One causes significant destruction to vegetable gardens, while the other pollinates the same plants leading to higher yields.

The eggs are laid by the adult moth on a food source that the larvae will use. They are small and white with hair like scales around them for protection. In about 6 days they will hatch and the invasion begins.

Armyworm larvae will look slightly different depending on the species and age of the larvae. For the most part, you should look for an orange-red head (yellow-striped armyworm Spodoptera ornithogalli does not have an orange head), yellow-tan-light brown stripes down the back of a green-brown body, and commonly will have dark spots (Mythimna unipuncta or Haworth species generally does not have spots; young larvae sometimes do not have spots).

The larvae (caterpillar) stage lasts about 21 days. That means there is potential for 21 days of destruction. During this time, they will eat as much as possible to store energy for metamorphosis into the adult moth. Infestations can cause complete plant destruction within 1-2 days. The smaller larvae typically feed

on foliage and then mature larvae can burrow into vegetable and fruit. Depending on the specific Armyworm, their target or host plant may vary. For us Florida gardeners that could mean almost any of our prized plants. I typically see them more frequently on tomatoes. But the list includes citrus fruits, peanuts, sunflowers, sweet potato leaves, peppers, eggplant leaves and fruit, pea leaves and fruit, carrot leaves, collards, cabbage, okra, beets, beans, tobacco, and others.

While the feast ensues, gardeners can become frustrated with potential destruction of their plants. Management, as always should be to allow natural predators to control the population and allow your garde

n to be an ecosystem achieving balance. In this fashion, the gardener saves time and money. Trying

to intervene can cause more harm than good for your garden long term. Armyworm natural predators are the same for most caterpillars. They include wasps, stink bugs, birds, lizards, and other predatory insects that will eat eggs and small larvae.

If gardeners feel like damage to their plants is not slowing from natural predators, the next recommendation is to physically remove by hand and relocate. Remember, the moths are nocturnal pollinators and so allowing metamorphosis will actually benefit the garden.

As a last resort, BT spray will help control infestations. BT spray will effectively kill all caterpillars and worms. It is a bacteria that will inhibit the digestion of larvae only. It will not harm butterflies, moths, or other insects.