A moth caterpillar that feeds at night on plant stems near the ground, often cutting them down completely.
From 'cut' + 'worm' (Old English 'wyrm'). Named for the distinctive behavior of severing plants at soil level as if with scissors.
Cutworms are a gardener's nightmare because they work at night and hide underground during the day—they literally behead seedlings like tiny agricultural saboteurs.
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