This week’s corn earworm (=bollworm) moth captures from local black light traps were: Sara Rutherford (Greensville ANR Agent) reported a nightly average of 20 moths; Scott Reiter (Prince George ANR Agent) had 8 per night at Templeton and 10 at Disputanta; the Spiers reported 5 per night in Dinwiddie; and we averaged 28 in Suffolk. Here is the Table. In our pyrethroid resistance monitoring tests, the seasonal average is at 30% survival (n=395 moths tested).

Corn earworm (=bollworm) moth captures continued to increase this week in local black light traps. Sara Rutherford (Greensville ANR Agent) reported a nightly average of 21 moths; Scott Reiter (Prince George ANR Agent) had 11 per night at Templeton and 18 at Disputanta; and we averaged 48 in Suffolk. Here is the Table. In our pyrethroid resistance tests, 45% of moths are surviving the 24-hour pesticide exposure period (n=200 moths tested).

Corn earworm (=bollworm) moth captures have started to climb in local black light traps. Sara Rutherford (Greensville ANR Agent) reported a nightly average of 17.7 moths; Scott Reiter (Prince George ANR Agent) had 6.5 per night at Templeton and 10.3 at Disputanta; and we averaged 17.9 in Suffolk. Here is the Table. We have also started our corn earworm moth pyrethroid resistance monitoring program–this week we had 55% survival in vials containing 5 micrograms of the pyrethroid, cypermethrin (n=82 moths tested).

Captures of corn earworm (=bollworm) moths decreased this week in our black light traps. The average number of moths caught per night was: Dinwiddie = 2; Greensville = 6; Prince George-Templeton = 1; Prince George-Disputanta = 2; Suffolk = 13. Here is the Table. In our unsprayed, conventional (non-Bt) cotton plots at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Suffolk, we had 11% boll injury due to bollworm feeding this week. Adult cypermethrin (pyrethroid insecticide) vial tests have 29% moth survival with 796 moths tested in 2021.

Corn earworm (=bollworm) moth catches continued to increase this week in our black light traps. The average number of moths caught per night was: Greensville = 26; Prince George-Templeton = 25; Prince George-Disputanta = 25; Southampton = 15; Suffolk = 46. Here is the Table.

Corn earworm (=bollworm) moth catches continued to increase this week in our black light traps. The average number of moths caught per night was: Greensville = 10; Prince George-Templeton = 26 (Scott Reiter reported this trap is next to some early April-planted corn that the shucks are starting to dry down on); Prince George-Disputanta = 6; Southampton = 10; Suffolk = 27. Here is the Table. We found bollworm eggs in cotton in Greensville and Suffolk this week. The 2021 season average in our adult cypermethrin vial tests is 25% survival (562 moths tested).

Black light trap captures of corn earworm moths (average number per night) in southeast Virginia this week were: Prince George-Templeton=0.7; Prince George-Disputanta=0.9; Southampton=2.0; Suffolk=4.0.

Our pyrethroid (cypermethrin @ 5 micrograms per vial rate) vial tests currently have 14% of corn earworm moths surviving the 24-hour exposure period (n=243 moths tested).