Corn Earworm

The corn earworm may be present throughout the season but is most abundant during August and September. Larvae feed on leaves, tassels, the whorl, and within ears, but the ears are the preferred sites for corn earworm attack.Ear damageis characterized by extensive excrement at the ear tip. Young larvae feed on corn silks, clipping them off. Shortly thereafter, they feed their way into the ear where they remain, feeding in the tip area until they exit topupatein the soil.