corn earworm

/ear"werrm'/

the larva of a cosmopolitan noctuid moth, Heliothis zea, that is highly destructive to crops, esp. corn, cotton, and tomato. Also called bollworm, cotton bollworm, tomato fruitworm.

[1795-1805, Amer.]

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or cotton bollworm or tomato fruitworm

Moth larva (Heliothis zea, family Noctuidae) that damages corn, tomato, cotton, and other seasonal crops.

The smooth, fleshy, green or brown caterpillars feed on corn kernels near the tip of the ear and burrow into tomatoes and cotton bolls. Four or five generations of the pale brown adult moths, with wingspans of 1.3 in. (3.5 cm), are produced annually.

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▪ insect

also called  cotton bollworm  or  tomato fruitworm 

 larva of the moth Heliothis zea (in some classifications H. armigera; family Noctuidae). The smooth, fleshy green or brown caterpillars are serious crop pests before they pupate in the soil. Four or five generations of the pale brown adult moths (wingspan 3.5 cm [about 1¹/₃ inches]) are produced annually. The larvae feed largely on corn (maize), especially the small kernels at the tips of the ears, and also damage tomatoes, cotton, and other seasonal crops.

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