Important turf damaging cutworms include the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel); the bronzed cutworm, Nephelodes minians (Guenee); and the variegated cutworm, Peridroma saucia (Hubner). They are found throughout North America, although the black cutworm is a pest throughout the world, and the bronzed cutworm is more prevalent in cooler climates. All species of turfgrasses may be attacked by these semi-subterranean, night-feeding pests. On golf course greens and tees, black cutworms are a perennial problem.

Larvae are mostly hairless with a few scattered bristles. They have 3 pairs of true legs as well as five pairs of prolegs, and most will coil into a spiral when disturbed. When full grown, the larvae are 1.4 - 2.0 inches long. Adults are dull-colored moths with a wing span of 1.4 - 1.8 inches, with the wings kept folded flat over the body at rest. Black cutworm adults are gray with black markings; bronzed cutworm adults are a mottled reddish brown color; the variegated cutworm moth may be brown or gray.

Cutworms over winter as larvae or as pupae in the northern states. In southern turf, activity occurs all year. Black and variegated cutworms have two to four generations per year in the north, whereas in southern areas they have three to seven generations. Bronzed cutworm has only one generation per year throughout its range. An individual female may lay up to 2,000 eggs over a period of several days. Three to ten days later, the larvae hatch and feed on grass blades for 20 - 40 days.

Cutworms usually dig a burrow in the ground or thatch, or use an aeration hole. At night they emerge to clip off grass blades and shoots. This feeding damage often appears as circular spots of dead grass or sunken spots that look like ball marks on golf greens. Bronzed cutworms are active in fall and spring and have been known to completely strip off a lawn at ground level.