Fight against the moth

Ground-dwelling noctuids are nocturnal lepidopteran insects whose larvae live in the soil or gnaw the roots, crowns and first leaves of many plants (lettuce, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, etc.). What is the lifestyle of the noctuid or cutworm? There are two main species with very similar morphology, the harvest moth (Agrotis segetum) and Agrotis ipsilon. The adults are noctuid moths with gray-brown wings with longitudinal black spots. Agrotis segetum overwinters as a caterpillar. In spring, it resumes its activity and development. The caterpillar transforms into a nymph, particularly recognizable with its brown and shiny integuments. Noctuid nymphs are easily found working the soil with their mobile abdomen. They then give birth to butterflies. Females lay between 800 and 1200 eggs in the ground or on plants such as dock, bindweed, etc. The first generation of larvae develops and attacks crops in June-July, and a second generation often follows. Agrotis ipsilon is a migratory species. It spends the winter season in Africa and then returns to Europe in the spring around March. 2 to 3 generations are produced before it returns to southern countries in summer. The female lays up to 1,500 eggs in recently worked land. For these two species, the young caterpillars devour the first leaves or eat the end of the plant. The most developed attack the collar. Present from May to the end of October, they act mainly at night and remain hidden in the soil during the day. How to control the cutworm or cutworm? Hoe regularly and eliminate the caterpillars and nymphs. Look for larvae in the soil within a 20cm radius around the plant using a knife and destroy them as soon as you observe the first damage. When disturbed, ground-dwelling moths roll up on themselves and become immobilized, making them easy to catch. Use auxiliaries against cutworms and fight ground-dwelling moths with the help of nematodes. These microscopic worms move in the soil in search of insect larvae which they penetrate, parasitize by multiplying inside, and cause their death.