Range Caterpillar commonly feeds on what?

• A. A single grass species
• B. Crops only
• C. Many different range grasses, often down to the crown
• D. Grass and legumes equally

Answer: (C)

Range caterpillars are generalist feeders on rangeland grasses. They can feed on a wide variety of range grasses, not just one species, and during heavy infestations they may chew down to the crown—the base of the plant near the soil surface—hitting the growing point and making regrowth difficult. This is why the statement that they feed on many different range grasses, often down to the crown, is the best description. They aren’t limited to crops or to legumes, and they don’t specialize in a single grass species.