Pale western cutworm

The adult pale western cutworm moth is gray to brownish white with a body length of just under 3/4 inch and wingspan of 1 3/8 inch. The moths are typical noctuid moths that fly at night and are attracted to lights. The distinctive characteristic of these moths is the white under-surface of the wings. Moths begin to emerge in late August and quickly increase in numbers, peaking by mid-September. Moth activity decreases by early October. The moth flight coincides with tillage and planting of winter wheat. Moths are attracted to areas with loose soil to deposit their eggs. Each female lays 250-300 eggs in the upper 1/2 inch of soil. Some eggs may hatch during a warm spell in the fall or winter, but most hatch early in the spring when temperatures at the soil surface reach 70 F. This may occur from February through March.
Young larvae are small and very difficult to find. Larvae pass through 6-8 stages before they cease feeding and pupate. Until they are about 1/2 inch long, they are grayish-white. As they get bigger they become a grayish-green color. The pale western cutworm is pale with no distinct markings on its body. When fully grown, the pale western cutworm is about 1 1/4 inch long. The only other cutworm likely to be present in fields at this time is the army cutworm, which generally is larger because it begins development in the fall. Also, pale western cutworm larvae are lighter than the army cutworm, which has distinct striping on the body.
Pale western cutworms feed through the spring and mature in May and early June. They then burrow into the soil and form earthen cells where they pass most of the summer, pupating in early August shortly before they emerge as adults.