Which pest is associated with corn but is classified as a cutworm?

The black cutworm is a significant pest associated with corn and is well-known for its feeding habits that can cause considerable damage to young corn plants. This species typically emerges in the spring and larvae can cut through stems at the soil level, which leads to the wilting or death of the plant.

Cutworms, as a category, are characterized by their behavior of engaging in early-stage feeding on seedlings, which makes them especially problematic for young crops such as corn. The black cutworm, in particular, is adept at locating and attacking these young plants, primarily during their vegetative growth stages. This propensity to cut plants at the base is a defining feature of cutworms, solidifying the black cutworm's classification as such.

While other species of cutworms, like the western cutworm or the common cutworm, can also affect corn, their specific impact, lifecycle, and geographical prevalence differ. In contrast, the cluster fly is not related to corn damage and is not a cutworm. Thus, the black cutworm is rightly identified as the pest linked with corn that falls under the classification of cutworms.