or cotton bollworm or tomato fruitworm
larva ( Heliothis zea , family Noctuidae) that damages corn, tomato, cotton, and other seasonal crops.
The smooth, fleshy, green or brown {{link=caterpillar">caterpillars feed on corn kernels near the tip of the ear and burrow into tomatoes and cotton bolls. Four or five generations of the pale brown adult moths, with wingspans of 1.3 in. (3.5 cm), are produced annually.