When do Army Cutworm eggs hatch?

• A. Fall following sufficient moisture
• B. Spring after drought
• C. Winter when soil is frozen
• D. Summer heat

Answer: (A)

Moisture driving embryonic development is the main idea. Army cutworm eggs are laid in the late summer to early fall in the soil, and they hatch when fall rains provide enough soil moisture and cool to mild temperatures. The moisture allows the embryos to develop and the newly emerged larvae to survive and start feeding on grasses and forbs.

If there isn’t enough moisture, development slows and hatching is delayed or doesn’t occur. Winter with frozen soil isn’t conducive to hatching, and extreme summer heat or drought is not favorable for egg survival or development. Spring after drought might occur, but the typical, reliable hatch pattern is the fall after sufficient moisture.