Thanks to the Virginia Soybean Board and all the participating Agents and others who have allowed us to add more pheromone traps to Virginia’s corn earworm monitoring network. Some locations reported zero’s but others such as Caroline and King George had high captures. Here is the Table along with acknowledgements.
Author Archives: Sean Malone
Asiatic garden beetle in Virginia cotton–June 12, 2025 update
Asiatic garden beetle (AGB) captures in our Sussex, VA black light trap spiked the first week of June, totaling 1,281 adults over a 7-day span. Some severe AGB foliar injury to seedling cotton was reported near Wakefield (image below). We dug up cotton plants and marestail in AGB hotspots, finding adults under each, but we do not have evidence that they feed on cotton roots. For more information, please see our Virginia Cooperative Extension publication, “Asiatic Garden Beetle in Cotton”
Expanded corn earworm pheromone trap monitoring network for Virginia
With funding support by the Virginia Soybean Board, the Tidewater AREC entomology program (led by Dr. Tim Bryant), along with collaborating Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents and Interns, has expanded our Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm/bollworm) pheromone trap monitoring network. Because corn earworm populations vary across the state, knowledge of local moth flights can better inform growers when to scout fields, use insect thresholds, and make the best management decisions for their crops. Here is the Table Numbers in the table represent variable numbers of days between trap checks (most are 3 or 4 nights).
In Dr. Tom Kuhar’s Advisory from May 28, 2025, he discusses high catches of corn earworm moths in Halifax and Northampton Counties, and in Delaware. We saw high catch numbers from Stafford and Caroline Counties this week. We’ll continue to keep you up to date on corn earworm flights across Virginia and expect many more counties to begin issuing reports.
Corn earworm and stink bug update for September 5, 2024
Corn earworm (=bollworm) moth captures in local black light traps increased this week. The average number per night was 12 in Greensville County, 14 in Prince George/Disputanta, and 70 in Suffolk. Here is the Table. Scouting soybean in these locations indicated that larval numbers are low. Here is the customizable Corn Earworm Larval Threshold Calculator for Soybean. Thanks to Sara Rutherford, Scott Reiter, and the Tidewater AREC entomology crew for their reports.
Stink bugs tend to increase in soybean this time of year. This week in Greensville County we were finding a mixture of brown marmorated, green, and brown stink bugs. The threshold in soybean for grain is 5 stink bugs per 15 sweeps (all stink bug species combined) until the leaves begin to senesce and fall–at which point the threshold numbers are doubled to 10.
Insect pest pressure and beneficials will vary by field. Please be sure to scout your fields and check the Virginia Cooperative Extension thresholds.
Corn earworm update for August 29, 2024
The average number of corn earworm (=bollworm) moths captured per night was 9 in Greensville, 2 in Prince George/Disputanta, and 14 in Suffolk. Thanks to Sara Rutherford, Scott Reiter, and the Tidewater AREC entomology crew for their reports. Here is the Table.
Corn earworm/bollworm update for August 22, 2024
Corn earworm (= bollworm) moth catches in southeast Virginia black light traps declined further this week. The average number captured per night was 16 in Greensville, 12 in North Dinwiddie, 2 in Prince George/Disputanta, and 6 in Suffolk. Here is the Table. Reports of soybean fields at larval threshold are coming in.
Corn earworm/bollworm update for August 15, 2024
Corn earworm (= bollworm) moth catches in southeast Virginia black light traps declined this week. The average number captured per night was 28 in North Dinwiddie, 22 in Prince George/Disputanta, and 22 in Suffolk. Here is the Table.
Here is the corn earworm larvae threshold calculator for soybean. Additional information for corn earworm sampling, decision making, and insecticide options can be found beginning on page “4-56” of the Virginia Cooperative Extension 2024 Field Crops Pest Management Guide’s Insect Control in Field Crops Chapter.
For cotton, bollworm thresholds for Virginia and insecticide options can be found beginning on page “4-80” of the above publication.
Corn earworm/bollworm update for August 8, 2024
Corn earworm (= bollworm) moth catches were exceptionally high this week, continuing to climb in Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Suffolk, VA black light traps. The average number captured per night was 38 in Greensville, 79 in North Dinwiddie, 72 in Prince George/Disputanta, and 124 in Suffolk. Thanks to Sara Rutherford, Scott Reiter, and the Tidewater AREC entomology crew for their reports. Here is the Table.
Invitation to the Virginia Cotton Growers Association Annual Field Day on August 16, 2024
Location: Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC Research Farm (1045 Hare Road, Suffolk, VA). This event is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 7:30 am with tours starting at 8:00 am. Lunch will be provided, followed by a Peanut Agronomy Tour in the afternoon. Here is the Tour Program.
If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services, or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Matthew Chappell, Tidewater AREC Director at (757) 807-6537/TDD 800-828-1120 during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.
Corn earworm/bollworm update for August 1, 2024
Corn earworm (= bollworm) moth catches increased greatly this week in southeastern Virginia black light traps. The average number captured per night was 50 in Greensville, 42 in North Dinwiddie, 39 in Prince George/Disputanta, and 67 in Suffolk. Thanks to Sara Rutherford, Scott Reiter, and the Tidewater AREC entomology crew for their reports. Here is the Table.
We have evaluated over 250 moths in our 2024 vial tests, with 57% surviving the 24-hour exposure to the pyrethroid insecticide, cypermethrin, at 5 micrograms per vial.