Which pest is a highly visible, hairy caterpillar that can defoliate sunflowers late in the season?

• A. Cutworms
• B. Sunflower headmoths
• C. Stem borers
• D. Woollybears

Answer: (D)

Matching a pest’s identity to the damage pattern on sunflowers helps you decide on management. A highly visible, hairy caterpillar points directly to woollybears, the larvae of tiger moths. These caterpillars feed on the leaves, and late in the season they can defoliate sunflowers, stripping foliage and reducing photosynthesis and yield. Their conspicuous, hair-covered bodies make them easy to spot as they move across plants, which helps distinguish them from other pests. Cutworms typically attack seedlings at the soil line or damage stems at the base, usually earlier in the season and aren’t known for large defoliation by a hairy caterpillar. Sunflower headmoths target seeds in the heads rather than defoliating leaves. Stem borers damage by tunneling inside stems rather than feeding on the foliage. So the combination of a large, visible, hairy caterpillar causing late-season leaf loss best fits woollybears.