Sod Webworm
Sod Webworm
Adult webworm moths are about 13 mm to 19 mm long, with a wingspread of 25.5 mm. They are pale brown with a distinct snout- like projection on the head. The forewings are brown or dull ash gray and have a whitish streak from the base to the margin; the hind wings are brownish. Eggs are pale and oblong.
The larvae of this pest are legless and pinkish-white, yellowish, or light brown. When full-grown, they are 16 to 19 mm long. Its thick body is marked by coarse hairs and paired dorsal and lateral spots on each segment. The head is yellowish-brown, brown, or black. Pupa are reddish-brown, immobile, and about 13 mm long. Sod Webworms are found throughout the United States.
They feed on corn, tobacco, bluegrass, timothy, pasture and field grasses, some clovers, and lawn and golf course grasses. Sod Webworms pass the winter in silk-lined nests several centimeters deep in the soil. Usually, they overwinter among the roots of weeds or grasses. In spring, the larvae become active and feed at night on the upper root systems, stems, and blades of grass.
Photo Courtesy of: Ohio State University Extension
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