A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Do Corn Ear Worms have a predator?

Does anybody know if Corn Ear Worms have a natural predator? I would like to avoid both pestacides, and the darn worms next year.

Put a drop a mineral oil on the silks, and that should kill the eggs.

Murphyette:

I read somewhere recently that the PENNSYLVANIA LEATHER-WINGS (or SOLDIER BEETLES) would eat corn worm grubs. Of course now for the life of me I cannot find where I read it. Maybe you can do a search and find out something.

We had these this year all over my Celosia. Tons of them so I had to do some research to find out what they were. Turns out they are a great bug to have around.

I found the quote!!!

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/love_among_bugs.html

These Soldier Beetles are important biological controls against Corn Earworms in the larval form and adults are often found on flowers, especially goldenrod since they eat pollen and nectar.