Beet armyworm
to the top of the plant where they feed mainly on the growing tips. They produce large holes in the leaf, sometimes stripping the leaf down to the mid-rib [...] es for the growth of the crop. With a substantial population of caterpillars, the damage can spread to the stems, and in the worst cases to the fruit. [...] even black. The colour and pattern of the caterpillars is highly variable and depends partly on the host plant, the stage of development and the climate.