Which Lepidopteran has sucking mouthparts and complete metamorphosis and is a common corn pest?

• A. Corn Earworm
• B. European Corn Borer
• C. Damselfly
• D. Field Cricket

Answer: (A)

Lepidopterans have complete metamorphosis, so they develop from egg to larva (caterpillar) to pupa to adult, and the adults carry mouthparts adapted for sucking (a long proboscis) while the larvae have chewing mouthparts. Among common corn pests, the corn earworm fits this profile: it is a moth (a Lepidopteran) whose larval stage bores into corn ears and feeds on kernels, while the adult moth has a sucking-proboscis for nectar. This combination—being a Lepidopteran, undergoing complete metamorphosis, and being a widely encountered corn pest—makes it the best match. The other options don’t fit all aspects: damselflies are not Lepidoptera and have different life cycles, and field crickets are Orthoptera with incomplete metamorphosis. The European corn borer is also a Lepidopteran and a corn pest, but in many contexts the corn earworm is the more common, widely recognized corn pest.