Young larvae feed on the plant and make holes in the leaves, older ones hide in the soil or in plant remains, and feed at night. They cut through stems just above soil level if the soil is moist if the soil is dry the larvae chew into the plants below ground, and often the plants wilt and die. Plants may be dragged into tunnels made in the soil, and eaten during the day. The crops most severely attacked are maize, vegetables, cotton, tobacco, turf grasses and etc. Black Cutworm can mummified and die after application of microbial insecticide.