Army cutworms consumed cheatgrass to produce cheatgrass die-offs at low elevations in southwest Idaho in 2014. The larvae also consumed foliage and bark of native shrubs. Army cutworm outbreaks seem to occur after many adult moths lay eggs in areas experiencing drought, which received late summer rain to germinate winter annuals, but little subsequent precipitation through the following winter. Army cutworms hide in plain sight by feeding at night in winter and hiding in soil or under objects during the day. A network of observers in the Intermountain West could help rangeland managers identify die-offs for reseeding with desirable species. The Society for Range Management The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information.
Practical, non-technical peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol 1, 1979 up to 3 years from the current year. More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.