They are more often pests in organic orchards or backyard trees.

Usually, green fruitworms do not cause extensive damage in commercial orchards that are sprayed for codling moth. They are found throughout temperate fruit-producing areas of the United States and Canada. Three species of green fruitworms are native to the Northwest: the speckled green fruitworm ( Orthosia hibisci), the pyramidal fruitworm ( Amphipyra pyramidoides) and the green fruitworm ( Lithophane antennata). Very few of the more than 150 species of noctuid moths in the Pacific Northwest are tree fruit pests. Tree fruits are the primary hosts of green fruitworms but only secondary hosts of climbing cutworms. Green fruitworms and climbing cutworms are closely related moths of the family Noctuidae. Very few of the more than 800 species of noctuid moths in the Pacific Northwest are tree fruit pests. In other words, fruitworms may complete their entire life cycle on tree fruits while armyworms and climbing cutworms characteristically move between the tree and weeds on the orchard floor. Tree fruits are primary hosts of fruitworms but only secondary hosts of armyworms and climbing cutworms.

Fruitworms, armyworms and climbing cutworms are closely related moths of the family Noctuidae.

Download types of cutworms