Caterpillars in Maragolds - Ask Extension
Hi. I was hoping that you could identify these tiny caterpillars for me. I was drying out some marigold blossoms and yesterday these started coming ou...
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Caterpillars in Maragolds #717674
Asked August 25, 2020, 11:19 PM EDT
Hi. I was hoping that you could identify these tiny caterpillars for me. I was drying out some marigold blossoms and yesterday these started coming out of them. They are attached by threads and have eaten the inside of some of the blossoms. And how do I get rid of them? Thank you.
County North Carolina
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. The caterpillars in your photos are sunflower moth caterpillars, scientific name Homoeosoma electellum. These caterpillars damage sunflowers, echinacea (coneflower), marigolds, cosmos, coreopsis and other members of the Asteraceae.
The female lays her eggs in the flower heads. The first instar caterpillars feed on pollen and florets. As the caterpillars develop, later instars feed on seeds.
This moth is common in the southern and central United States.
Here's a link to the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment webpage for this species:
https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/photos/sunflower-moth-caterpillar-marigold
You can treat for this species using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki on early instar larvae.
I hope this answers your question, and thank you for contacting Ask an Expert.
Jim
The female lays her eggs in the flower heads. The first instar caterpillars feed on pollen and florets. As the caterpillars develop, later instars feed on seeds.
This moth is common in the southern and central United States.
Here's a link to the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment webpage for this species:
https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/photos/sunflower-moth-caterpillar-marigold
You can treat for this species using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki on early instar larvae.
I hope this answers your question, and thank you for contacting Ask an Expert.
Jim
