Zea mays subsp. mays

Zea mays subsp. mays

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Not native

Not native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

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At a glance

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Light · Soil · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 8 Florida counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

95CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Zea

Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Achatodes zeaeElder Shoot Border Moth, Spindele Worm, Cornstalk Borer
Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
Acrolophus arcanellaGrass Tubeworm Moth
Acrolophus popeanellaClemen's Grass Tubeworm
Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Agriphila vulgivagellusVagabond Crambus, Black Headed Sod Webworm
Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm

Show all 95

Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Anatrachyntis badiaFlorida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar
Anatrachyntis rileyiPink Scavanger Caterpillar
Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
Apamea vulgarisCommon Apamea
Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
Apantesis phalerataHarnessed Moth
Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
Apantesis virgoVirgin Tiger Moth
Argyrogramma verrucaGolden Looper
Automeris ioIo Moth
Calpodes ethliusBrazilian Skipper, Canna Skipper, Canna Leafroller
Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
Crambus praefectellusSilver Striped Webworm, Common Grass-Veneer
Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
Diatraea crambidoidesSouthern Cornstalk Borer
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Elaphria agrotinaBicolored Midget
Elaphria deltoidesDeltoid Midget
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
Euxoa auxiliarisArmy Cut-Worm, Army Cutworm
Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
Feltia repletaReplete Dart
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Fissicrambus mutabilisStriped Webworm, Striped Sodworm, Changeable Grass-Veneer
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hellula rogatalisCabbage Webworm
Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
Lerema acciusClouded Skipper, Corn Leaf tier
Lerodea eufalaEufala Skipper, Gray Skipper, Rice Leafroller
Leucania humidicolaSugarcane Budworm Moth
Leucania subpunctataWhite-Dotted Wainscot, Forage Armyworm
Marasmia cochrusalisMarasmia Moth, Acrobat Moth
Meropleon cosmionComely Brocade
Mesapamea fractilineaBroken-Lined Borer, Lined Corn Borer, Lined Stalk Borer
Microcrambus elegansElegant Grass-Veneer, Sod Webworm
Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Neodactria caliginosellusCorn Webworm, Corn Root Webworm, Sooty Crambus
Neodactria luteolellusGrass Webworm, Mottled Grass-Veneer
Nola cereellaSorghum Cutworm, Sorghum Webworm Moth, Sorgham Webworm Moth
Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Ostrinia obumbratalisSmartweed Borer
Palthis asopialisFaint-Spotted Palthis
Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
Pediasia trisectaSod Webworm Moth, Larger Sod Webworm
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Spragueia onagrusBlack-Dotted Spragueia
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
Virbia aurantiacaOrange Virbia, Orange Holomelina
Virbia rubicundariaRuddy Virbia, Ruddy Holomelina
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Neodactria zeellus
Omiodes simialis
Phidotricha erigens

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

56BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Zea

Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
Agelaius tricolorTricolored Blackbird
Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
Antigone canadensisSandhill Crane
Aphelocoma californicaCalifornia Scrub-Jay
Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Branta canadensisCanada Goose

Show all 56

Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
Certhia americanaBrown Creeper
Colaptes auratusNorthern Flicker
Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Columba liviaRock Pigeon
Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
Corvus cryptoleucusChihuahuan Raven
Cyanocitta cristataBlue Jay
Cygnus columbianusTundra Swan
Dendrocygna autumnalisBlack-bellied Whistling-Duck
Dryobates pubescensDowny Woodpecker
Dryobates villosusHairy Woodpecker
Ectopistes migratoriusPassenger Pigeon
Eremophila alpestrisHorned Lark
Euphagus carolinusRusty Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
Mareca americanaAmerican Wigeon
Melanerpes carolinusRed-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorusAcorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewisLewis's Woodpecker
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
Phasianus colchicusRing-necked Pheasant
Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Quiscalus majorBoat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanusGreat-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch
Spatula discorsBlue-winged Teal
Sturnella neglectaWestern Meadowlark
Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: POACEAE

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNA
Global rank	Not available
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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