BeneficialCorn earworm
Damsel bugs for corn earworm
Nabidae (mostly Nabis spp.) · wild predator
Against corn earworm
UC IPM lists damsel bugs with lacewings and minute pirate bugs as general predators that feed on corn earworm eggs and small larvae, and UF/IFAS names corn earworm among the pale damsel bug's prey. Older nymphs and adults eat up to about two dozen eggs or small prey a day. They are background help alongside Trichogramma egg parasitoids, not a substitute for treatments timed to egg hatch in sweet corn.
RateWild — not sold; conserve the ones already present
TimingThrough the season, while eggs are being laid on silks and foliage
macro · damsel bugs on corn earworm
The pestCorn earwormHelicoverpa zeaEar tips eaten and full of frass; holes in tomato fruitFull pest profile →Before you act
Slender, tan or greyish bugs with a narrow head, bulging eyes and thickened front legs held up as if lifting a skirt. Adults and nymphs hunt aphids, moth eggs, small caterpillars and plant bug nymphs in gardens and crops. How to recognise it, what it is confused with and how to keep it around are on the full Damsel bugs profile.
Other controls for corn earworm
- Trichogramma spp.Egg parasitoid wasp · About 100,000 T. pretiosum per acre during egg-laying (UC IPM, tomato); 1–2 /ft² in gardens (Sound Horticulture)
- Bacillus thuringiensis kurstakiMicrobial insecticide · Label rate — DiPel DF lists corn earworm/tomato fruitworm; Thuricide 2–4 tsp per gallon on tomato claims suppression only
- Orius insidiosusPredatory bug · 1–2 /m² per release; up to 10 /m² on hot spots
- Braconid waspsWild parasitoid · wild, attract it