Tropical sod webworm Herpetogramma phaeopteralis Guenee (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae) (EENY541/IN968)

Figure 10. Mature tropical sod webworm larvae feeding in thatch.Tropical sod webworm larvae are destructive pests of warm season turfgrasses in the southeastern U.S., especially on newly established sod, lawns, athletic fields, and golf courses. Larval feeding damage reduces turfgrass aesthetics, vigor, photosynthesis and density. The first sign of damage is often caused by differences in grass height in areas where larvae are feeding. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Nastaran Tofangsazie, Steven P. Arthurs, and Ronald Cherry, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in968