Storm of young shoots
The winter cutworm butterfly produces two generations per year. Its caterpillars are not picky - they feed on more than 140 species of plants, including many cultivated ones. These include tomatoes, corn, cotton, and sunflowers. The first generation caterpillars are especially dangerous as they harm young shoots. And the caterpillars of the second generation spend the winter in the soil, at a depth of 20-25 cm. In the spring they pupate, and in mid-May they already fly out in the form of butterflies. The latest generation of caterpillars also overwinter deep in the earth. In the spring they rise to the top layer of soil and pupate there in earthen caves. The flight of butterflies begins in the second ten days of May. Cutworms live throughout Europe and most of Asia, so they cause considerable damage.
Caterpillars, unpretentious in their tastes, cause enormous damage to cultivated plants.
Cabbage moth caterpillars, of course, love this plant, but they also do not refuse sugar beets, peas and about 70 other types of crops. The butterflies themselves feed on nectar and readily drink sweet fruit juices. Cabbage cutworms produce three generations per year, so they can be seen from May to October, and sometimes in other seasons.
