Locally, we have been impressed with the number of black cutworm moths captured in our pheromone traps the last few weeks.
Christian Krupke
Over the past two weeks, armyworm moth captures at the Purdue Ag Research Centers (see accompanying “Armyworm Pheromone Trap Report”) have been variable, certainly not eye-popping!
For the last couple of weeks, storms originating in the Southwestern U.S. have effectively “vacuumed up” black cutworm (BCW) moths and deposited them, along with rainfall, in the Midwest.
Pest managers in southern Indiana should now be scouting their alfalfa for leaf feeding from weevil larva.
We’ve received questions about black, triangular moths flying around farms, homes, and yards, and especially to lights at night.
This is a wonderful time of the year in the Hoosier state, as we drive through the countryside, we are greeted with the pleasing sight of several colorful butterfly species gliding across and roads, near puddles of water, or on fall flowering plants.
Though Japanese beetle numbers and their defoliation to soybean typically get lots of mid-season attention, their pressures seemed to be lower this year.
Increasingly, we are getting inquires of swarms of “bee-like” flies around Indiana fields, farmsteads, and rural environments, and wanted to take the opportunity to tell you a bit about this curiosity.
Tracking the western bean cutworm moth flight wouldn’t be possible without the many pheromone trap cooperators in our network, see following “Western Bean Cutworm Pheromone Trap Report.”
The western bean cutworm (WBC) trapping season continues, and after a slow start, moth flights have rapidly increased in many northern Indiana county traps the past two weeks. With warm temperatures, egg development and hatch will happen within about 6-8 days after they are first placed by females. This will give little time for egg scouting. Unfortunately larval scouting is far more difficult, time-consuming and less reliable. In other words, some larvae have hatched and have already infested corn whorls, leaf axils, and/or ears. Control is very difficult at this point and those just looking for egg masses beginning now will likely be underestimating the population. However, it’s not too late! Although some eggs have hatched, our current period of increased moth activity represents the peak for egg-laying, as the vast majority of WBC eggs will be laid over the next 2 weeks. Use moth trap catches[Read More…]
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