Bronze Cutworm

An adult Bronze Cutworm takes a moth-like form and is purple-gray to brown in color. This flying lawn insect has a wide, dark brown band across the center of its front wings. As larvae, they resemble caterpillars with their fat bodies. Larvae are light to dark brown on their upper bodies with a distinct bronze sheen. A broad yellow stripe runs from head to tail down the center of the body, and complementary stripes run along either side of the center stripe. These lawn pests also feature a dark brown collar with three white bars located behind the head. Bronze Cutworm larvae feed deep into the plant crowns. In large quantities, this lawn-damaging insect can consume large areas of grass resulting in a general thinning appearance. Signs of a Bronze Cutworm infestation include clipped leaves, piles of green fecal pellets and larvae present in the thatch. In colder climates, Bronze Cutworm damage can occur under snow cover and symptoms can be mistaken for severe cases of snow mold or winterkill. Birds often peck at the ground to feed on these lawn pests, often a strong indicator Bronze Cutworms are present.