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Pod Boring Caterpillar

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deluxestogie

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As you can read in the linked article on budworm life cycle: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/field/tobacco_budworm.htm, the eggs are laid by the moth on a living plant. They then go to elementary school, and are required to attend 5 to 7 grades (instars) as humble larvae (caterpillars), before graduating. This all happens in a matter of a few weeks (while still on living plants).

In order to turn into a moth, the larva drops to the ground, where it pupates for 22 days (or over-winters) in the soil. [So you're not transmitting budworm eggs in your tobacco seed.] When pupation is done (either during the same summer, or when temps warm in the following spring), a new moth emerges from the soil to spread joy.

Bob
 

Knucklehead

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Ah, I found a picture of the yellow worm I've been finding lately in some bud bags. UKY calls it the bud worm, except that it's the yellow worm I've been seeing, not the brown worm posted in Bob's link: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Tobacco/Pages/Budworm.html

Is this a different worm, or a different stage of the same worm? I've found them half in a bud pod, so it's definitely a pod boring type.
 

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ArizonaDave

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Hopefully that will take care of them, unless another is hiding out in a seed pod?
 

Knucklehead

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Hopefully that will take care of them, unless another is hiding out in a seed pod?

The Spinosad works when the critter eats the leaf or tries boring into another seed pod. I don't think it works by contact, but by ingestion.
 

JessicaNicot

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As you can read in the linked article on budworm life cycle: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/field/tobacco_budworm.htm, the eggs are laid by the moth on a living plant. They then go to elementary school, and are required to attend 5 to 7 grades (instars) as humble larvae (caterpillars), before graduating. This all happens in a matter of a few weeks (while still on living plants).

In order to turn into a moth, the larva drops to the ground, where it pupates for 22 days (or over-winters) in the soil. [So you're not transmitting budworm eggs in your tobacco seed.] When pupation is done (either during the same summer, or when temps warm in the following spring), a new moth emerges from the soil to spread joy.

Bob

they don't need to reach the ground to pupate. they will encapsulate while still bored into a capsule sometimes. ive seen their little melanized capsules in our harvested heads when we go to shell the seed. sometimes an emergent moth flies out of the paper bag.
 

JessicaNicot

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ive seen the army worm before. theyre definitely not the same thing as our pod borers.
 

skychaser

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Nope, it isn't the army worm, but thanks for the suggestion Knucklehead. My AG agent doesn't know what it is exactly either. He thinks its a kind of weevil. He gave me some contact info for their bug expert. Says if it hatches into a moth, this guy will know it on site!

I've been seeing worms eating all my crops in my sleep now! AHHHH!! lol So far I haven't seen anything else out in the field though. I gave our bug some more new pods to eat and some small new growth leaves. Took it 5 mins to crawl over to a eat a new pod. Had to cross the leaves to get to them. It hasn't even nibbled on a leaf but has devoured the pods I put in a few days ago. It's now over 2 inches long and has changed colors. It's all pod green now with 6 dark grey/black stripes running the length of its body and has jet black spots between the stripes. It's face has changed from black to a pale cream color. Color isn't a good way of identifying it because it changes.

I'm going to move it to a new home today and put a couple inches of dirt in the bottom of the jar with some fresh pods. Dunno how long it will take to pupate but I'm guessing it will be pretty soon. We've had it over two weeks now. When it turns to a moth, we will be able to identify it for sure. So far the closest thing I have found which matches the damage it does it something called the "false bud worm". http://books.google.com/books?id=So...UQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=False Bud Worm&f=false
This sketch I found is the closest to the damage we have seen but our pods usually just have one hole.
 

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skychaser

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BT It looks very similar to those, most like the middle one, but it's main body is pod green. It's face was black when we found it but changed to a pale cream color as it grew.

I gave our "pet" a new home last week with some fresh pods and dirt in the bottom of the jar. It sat on a pod for most of the day but just nibbled it a little. Then it went down and sat on the dirt doing nothing for a few hours before it started digging in. It seemed to be chewing the dirt all around itself as it dug down a little and buried itself. My guess he was mixing some worm spit with the dirt to make a kind of cemented dirt around itself. Been dug in since Aug 7th.

I haven't seen any more in the field, just in my dreams. :D
 
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deluxestogie

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Sky,
It's truly selfless of you to undertake establishing a budworm sanctuary. Is it just for displaced and jeopardized worms on your property, or can community members bring in any distressed worms they happen to find? Any plans for a fund-raiser?

Bob
 
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skychaser

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Thank you Bob. We take any most any stray animal that happens along. That's how we got 4 cats. Our sanctuary may be the last refuge for the bud worm, the way some of you guys go after the poor things with those nasty pesticides! Right now we are only taking in local worms, but we hope to expand to a national level in the future. We are planning on having a lemonade stand by the highway to raise money, but would gladly welcome any donations from forum members.
 

rustycase

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I've got the cream colored moths Jessica mentioned, but not sure about a red button on their head. Better look closer...
Mine have eaten into pods, but no pods this year... they are eating leaves and tunnel in the leaf stems.
So much I need to learn about!
rc
 
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