Fwd: Fw: What is this?

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Adrienne

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Jun 12, 2025, 7:14:51 PM6/12/25
to Mid-Valley Nature
Hello everyone,
I'm forwarding this pic from a friend who loves all things Native and she is wondering what this little brown red capsule might be. I think she poked it or cut and there was something wiggling inside and she may be feeling inquisitve but also a little bit worried it was a proper worth little caterpillar butterfly in the making?
Thank you for any insights you may have.
Adrienne

Stephanie Hazen

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Jun 12, 2025, 7:32:18 PM6/12/25
to Adrienne, Mid-Valley Nature
underwing moth caterpillar commonly known as cutworm

Stephanie Hazen

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Adrienne

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Jun 12, 2025, 7:45:13 PM6/12/25
to Stephanie Hazen, Mid-Valley Nature
Stephanie, so is this a real pest in a native plants garden/garden or is it food for birds? how would it have landed on one's property? via a potted plant or compost or flown in and planted babies?
underwing moth caterpillar commonly known as cutworm
Yes, the caterpillar of the large yellow underwing moth, Noctua pronuba, is commonly known as a cutworm and is native to Oregon. These caterpillars, also known as winter cutworms, are native to Eurasia and were introduced to North America in 1979. They are a significant pest in Oregon, causing damage to a variety of crops and plants. 
Key characteristics of the large yellow underwing moth's caterpillar (winter cutworm):
  • Name: Large Yellow Underwing Moth, Noctua pronuba. 
  • Larval Stage: Commonly called cutworms or winter cutworms. 
  • Origin: Native to Eurasia and introduced to North America in the late 1970s. 
  • Appearance: Caterpillars are large and can have a variety of colors, often greenish-gray to dark brown. 
  • Damage: Known for chewing through stems at ground level, notching leaves, and feeding on roots. 
  • Activity: Active at night and during cool weather, with nighttime temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Habitat: Found in a variety of landscapes, including lawns, gardens, golf courses, and agricultural fields. 

Stephanie Hazen

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Jun 13, 2025, 3:03:31 PM6/13/25
to Adrienne, Mid-Valley Nature
Adrienne, 

Being a Master Gardener I turn to OSU press to find answers to gardening questions. This is what I found:  https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/black-cutworm-variegated-cutworm

That said, I tend to let things be.  I rely on Doug Tallamy’s quote: “ It takes 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to raise a brood of chickadee nestlings. “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Tallamy

The moth just flew in to your property and laid eggs which evolved into caterpillars and then a chrysalis. 

If you need to protect individual plants I turn to fruit protection bags .  They do not help with roots, but can save above ground crops like cabbage, broccoli, or fruit on branches.

They come in all sizes.  They have sizes big enough to cover a person.  


Thinking outside the box, I suppose you could cover the ground around garden plants with fine cloth mesh after the plant is up, and maybe prevent larvae from burrowing down


Again I don’t worry about bugs. I am happy to feed birds natural foods.

Stephanie 





On Jun 12, 2025, at 4:44 PM, Adrienne <330healt...@gmail.com> wrote:

Stephanie, so is this a real pest in a native plants garden/garden or is it food for birds? how would it have landed on one's property? via a potted plant or compost or flown in and planted babies?
underwing moth caterpillar commonly known as cutworm
Yes, the caterpillar of the large yellow underwing moth, Noctua pronuba, is commonly known as a cutworm and is native to Oregon. These caterpillars, also known as winter cutworms, are native to Eurasia and were introduced to North America in 1979. They are a significant pest in Oregon, causing damage to a variety of crops and plants. 
Key characteristics of the large yellow underwing moth's caterpillar (winter cutworm):
  • Name: Large Yellow Underwing Moth, Noctua pronuba. 
  • Larval Stage: Commonly called cutworms or winter cutworms. 
  • Origin: Native to Eurasia and introduced to North America in the late 1970s. 
  • Appearance: Caterpillars are large and can have a variety of colors, often greenish-gray to dark brown. 
  • Damage: Known for chewing through stems at ground level, notching leaves, and feeding on roots. 
  • Activity: Active at night and during cool weather, with nighttime temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Habitat: Found in a variety of landscapes, including lawns, gardens, golf courses, and agricultural fields. 

On Thu, Jun 12, 2025 at 4:32 PM Stephanie Hazen <stephani...@gmail.com> wrote:
underwing moth caterpillar commonly known as cutworm

Stephanie Hazen
On Thu, Jun 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM Adrienne <330healt...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello everyone,
I'm forwarding this pic from a friend who loves all things Native and she is wondering what this little brown red capsule might be. I think she poked it or cut and there was something wiggling inside and she may be feeling inquisitve but also a little bit worried it was a proper worth little caterpillar butterfly in the making?
Thank you for any insights you may have.
Adrienne

<IMG_4634.JPEG>

Delores Porch

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Jun 13, 2025, 3:21:19 PM6/13/25
to Stephanie Hazen, Adrienne, Mid-Valley Nature
Thanks  Stephanie for the suggestion of OSU press. OSU Extension Services are also great resources.

K Lowry

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Jun 14, 2025, 10:31:23 AM6/14/25
to Delores Porch, Stephanie Hazen, Adrienne, Mid-Valley Nature
We use "cutworm collars" around all of our new transplants. I make these from strips of cardboard (e.g. cereal box or other container), about 3 inches wide and ends stapled to form a circle. These are pushed an inch or two into the soil, with about an inch above ground, at the time of transplanting. The cardboard gradually degrades but by then the plant stem is large enough to resist cutworm damage...usually. 
Kate


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