Cutworm

Both the (+)- and (-)- enantiomers of limonene were transformed by larvae of the cutworm Spodop-tera litura (Miyazawa et al. 1998). For both of them the reactions involved are (a) dihydroxylation between C-8 and C-9 and (b) oxidation of the C-1 methyl group to carboxyl. These transformations were not dependent on the intestinal microflora in contrast to the transformation of a-terpinene to p-mentha-l,3-dien-7-ol and p-cymene whose formation could be attributed to the intestinal flora. 

Miyazawa M, T Wada, H Kameoka (1998) Biotransformation of (+) and (-) limonene by the larvae of common cutworm (Spodoptera liturd). J Agric Food Chem 46 300-303. 

DDT at 10 pounds per acre to control the bollworm, boll weevil, cotton fleahopper, tarnished plant bug, rapid plant bug, and some species of cutworms and thrips. (On cotton just up it was found that only 0.07 pound per acre of aldrin, applied as an emulsion, was necessary for the control of cutworms and thrips.) Significantly, no increase in aphid population was noted following the use of the aldrin-DDT mixture (4). 

Dust formulations of 0.48 and 1.97 kg/ha, to control wildlife flea populations 0.56 and 1.0 kg/ha, to control pale western cutworm (Agrotis orthogonia)... 

Harris, C.R., H.J. Svec, and P. Martel. 1975. Laboratory and field studies on the effectiveness of post planting insecticide treatments in controlling the darksided and redbacked cutworms attacking tobacco. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Ont. 104 59-64. 

McEwen, L.C., L.R. DeWeese, and P. Schladweiler. 1986. Bird predation on cutworms (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) in wheat fields and chlorpyrifos effects on brain cholinesterase activity. Environ. Entomol. 15 147-151. 

Cotton pests that are common both to the United States and tropical America include the cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glov.), the cotton leafworm [Alabama argillacea (Hbn.)], and certain grasshoppers and spider mites. Certain species of stink bugs, mirids, and cutworms which are closely related to species that occur here at times cause serious injury to cotton throughout Mexico and Central and South America. 

Lettuce is the most pest- and disease-prone member of the Asteraceae. Common pests include slugs, cutworm, leaf aphids, and root aphids. Linder cover, downy mildew and gray mold (botrytis) can be a problem, especially in cool, damp conditions. Cultivars with resistance to aphids, downy mildew, and various physiological disorders are available. For more advice and information, see the A-Z of Plant Problems ipp.320-341). 

Various nocturnal moth caterpillars are called cutworms. Soil-living larvae, they tend to be fat when fully grown, and will curl up in a "C" shape when disturbed. They may be brown, yellow, or green with dark markings. Cutworms feed at night, and can be found at almost any time of year, both outdoors and in the greenhouse. 

What to do Cultivate infested soil in winter to expose cutworms to birds, or allow chickens to scratch it over. Keep ground weed-free, as weeds provide sites for egg-laying. On a small scale, locate caterpillars in soil, or feeding on plants at night, and destroy. Protect susceptible transplants with a collar— such as a cardboard or plastic tube, or a tin can with the base removed—pushed down into the soil around the plant... 

Larvae also feed on roots of young plants in spring. Plants turn yellow, wilt, and may die. Symptoms can be confused with cutworm damage and also root-infecting fungi confirm the presence of leatherjackets before taking action. 

Figure 3. Mechanical barriers can reduce cutworm damage to young plants. 

Shingles, boards and even inverted cabbage leaves placed in the garden will collect slugs, cutworms, squash bugs and other pests that hide in moist, dark places. They can be collected from these hiding places and destroyed by dropping them into a container of water covered with a thin layer of oil. 

Ground Beetles Large, shiiy, dark brown beetles Feed on caterpillars, armyworms and cutworms... 

Simultaneous GC-EAD analyses of the extracts of the sex pheromone gland of the female bronzed cutworm, Nephelodes minians, indicated two compounds which eficited strong EAD responses from conspecific male antennae, (2 )-ll-hexadecenal and (2 )-ll-hexadecenyl acetate. Double bond positions were confirmed by the dimethyl disulfide derivatives of the pheromone component. In a field test, a 5 1 blend of aldehyde and ester attracted male N. minians. ... 

In our experiments, black cutworm (Agrotls Ipsllon) (BCT7) larvae were fed corn seedlings and artificial diet. While there appear to be species of plants that are even more susceptible to BCTJ larvae than com, corn was not statistically different from the most susceptible species tested by Buschlng and Turpin (52), and certainly BCW can occasionally be extremely damaging to corn. Further, Wilson et al. (53), Tseng et al. (54), and Jarvis et al. (55) have screened thousands of maize introductions, inbred lines, and hybrids, and have found only a very few sources of even moderate resistance. 

Figure 3. Mean weights of black cutworm larvae fed Funk s G4507A corn seedlings and given a 48-h "boost" on artificial diet at various times during the experiment. Control larvae were fed artificial diet for the entire experiment. Each bar represents the mean of 20 larvae.

Bicyclic diterpenes-clerodanes. An important group of Insect antifeedants are the clerodane diterpenoids, which have been isolated from several different plant families (13)(Figure 1). Particularly well studied are the antifeedant activities of caryoptln and clerodin, and their derivatives, from Clerodendron and Caryopteris, Verbenaceae, against the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura L. (25-27). 

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