That is an army worm.

Dave

Thank you. I am doing research now but cannot find much information about how likely I am to have them return next year. I live in PA, so we should have a cold and snow filled winter. are Army Worms likely to return year after year, is there anything I should do to get rid of them now so they don't come back next year. or is more the luck of the draw if they do or dont come back after a frosty winter?

thanks dave!

Armyworms are an annual pest for most of the country as the moth has a wide distribution. So prevention sin't really possible. You learn to to note when they are active in your area, monitor for the moth, look for and destroy eggs as you find them, and spray or dust the plants with Bt to reduce damage.

https://www.google.com/#q=btk+for+caterpillars

Dave

Thank you

Striped armyworm. I get them every year. Bt or spinosad helps control them, especially if you catch them early. This year, because I trellised and the trellises provided a lot of attractive perching real estate for birds, I had far less of a problem with them. Now that we're moving into fall and most songbirds have switched to seed- and fruit-eating mode, I've seen more of the armyworms reaching larger sizes and may have to spray.