Cutworms are so named because of their generalized nocturnal feeding habit of cutting off plants close to the ground. On golf course greens and tees, black cutworms graze on grass blades of short cut turf. This causes circular or finger-shaped sunken marks, often called “pock marks.” Cutworm larvae often take advantage of coring holes where they produce round pock marks that can resemble ball marks on a green. Visible damage in higher cut turf is rare and a general thinning or persistent bird feeding may be the only signs of black cutworm presence.

 Black cutworms are the larvae of moths and thus have complete life cycles with egg, larval (caterpillar), pupal and adult stages.

 Larger black cutworm larvae are known to move considerable distances (often more than 50 feet in one night). They apparently build new burrows every few nights. Most of cutworms take 20 to 40 days to complete their larval development during summer tempera