Underground Worm
April 6, 2010
Before I get into my letter, I’d like to just thank WTB for being such an incredible resource, so thanks! Now on to the bug.
I was in the midst of some gardening when I overturned the soil in a flowerbed and found this curious creature.
The photo shows the little thing on my trowel and it’s probably the size of my pinky.
I’ve been looking at images of meal worms and grubs, but I’m not sure they match up, but I’m no expert.
Thanks so much for your time and attention!
Yours, Tina
Ontario, Canada
Dear Tina,
Thanks for your kind letter. This appears to be a Cutworm, the caterpillar of a Dart Moth, one of the Owlet Moth subfamilies. Cutworms can be destructive in the garden because of their feeding habits. Cutworms often cut small seedlings at the ground level and consume the entire plant. BugGuide has many images of Cutworms for comparison.