Category Archives: Insect

Plant Bug Distribution Map

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Twenty-three representative cotton fields in eight Virginia counties were scouted weekly for plant bug abundance and square retention. Data for the June 28th through July 13th sampling period is represented in the distribution map below (follow link to view). We will continue to post updates to the map through peak plant bug abundance in cotton. Sweep net and drop cloth samples were taken for each field to account for sampling bias associated with sweep net sampling towards adult captures and drop cloth sampling towards nymphal captures. When sampling cotton fields for plant bugs, look carefully for nymphs (pictured below). Since nymphs are flightless, they may spend more time feeding in an isolated area and cause more damage than adults because their movement in and out of fields is limited. The action threshold for plant bug in Mid-Atlantic cotton is generally eight plant bugs (i.e., adults and nymphs) per 100 sweeps in addition to square retention below 80 percent.

Plant bug nymph feeding on weedy host, buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

When viewing the distribution map in full-screen mode, click on the left arrow icon to view map legend. Click on sampling labels on the map to view square retention and number of samples taken from each site. Mean plant bug densities were calculated by sampling four sweet net samples (25 sweeps per sample) and four drop cloth samples across each field. Total adults and nymphs in a single visit were totaled and averaged for each visit within the sampling period.

Click here to view full-screen distribution map

Plant bug distribution map in Virginia cotton sampled from 28 June to 13 July 2017.

Insect report for July 13, 2017

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Virginia Cooperative Extension ANR Agents and Virginia Tech faculty/staff have started up their black light traps to monitor corn earworm moths (aka bollworm) and brown marmorated stink bugs for the season. CEW and BMSB catches have been low in the black light traps; however, our pheromone traps in Suffolk, VA are catching moderate numbers of CEW moths–averaging about 5 per night. We tend to pick up more CEW moths in the pheromone than in the black light traps during this time of year. Dr. Taylor’s cypermethrin vial tests are showing about 35% of CEW moths surviving the 5 microgram rate (the moths were collected from the Suffolk pheromone traps). Watson Lawrence reported 26 brown stink bugs in his Chesapeake black light trap this week.

Corn earworm and fall armyworm trap catch numbers in Virginia – Week of July 10, 2017

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Corn earworm larva in sweet corn.

Corn earworm and fall armyworm are two important pests of a number of agricultural crops in Virginia.  Sweet corn, in particular, is extremely vulnerable to attack by the larvae (or caterpillars) of these moth pests.  Monitoring moth catch numbers in pheromone-baited traps can help IPM decision-making.  See at the end of this post the Action threshold for spraying insecticides on sweet corn based on corn earworm trap catch.  In general trap catch less than 1 per night means relatively low pest pressure and sprays can probably be spaced 5-6 days apart during silking.  However, a catch of >1 or >13 moths per night means moderate and high pest pressure, respectively and a more frequent spray interval is justified.

In 2017, we are monitoring these pests on sweet corn farms in 11 different counties in Virginia.  Moth Trap Catch Data are being recorded by:  Katlyn Catron & John Few (Montgomery Co.); Jason Cooper (Rockingham Co.); Ursula Deitch (Northampton Co.); Helene Doughty (Virginia Beach); Kenner Love (Rappahannock Co.); Laura Maxey Nay (Hanover Co.); Steve Pottorff (Carrol Co.); Stephanie Romelczyk  (Westmoreland Co.); Laura Siegle (Amelia Co.); Rebekah Slabach (Halifax Co.); and Mark Sutphin (Frederick Co.)

Here are the trap catch results (moths per night) for several locations around Virginia for this week (note we do not have data for all locations):

Region County Field CEW  moths/night FAW moths/night
Eastern Shore Accomack ESAREC 1.1 0
Eastern Shore Virginia Beach Pungo 1 1.6 0
Eastern Shore Virginia Beach Pungo 2 3.9 0
Eastern Shore Northampton Bridge Tunnel 6.6 0
Eastern Shore Northampton Capeville 1 3.6 0
Eastern Shore Northampton Capeville 2 0.0 0
Eastern Shore Northampton Eastville 0.6 0
Eastern Shore Northampton Nassawaddox 1.0 0
Piedmont Amelia Field 1 2.7 0
Piedmont Hanover Field 1 2.1 0
Piedmont Hanover Field 2 1.0 0
Northern Neck Westmoreland Field 1 3.0 0
Shenandoah Valley Rappahannock Field 1 1.0 0
Shenandoah Valley Frederick Field 1 2.3 0
Shenandoah Valley Frederick Field 2 3.5 0
New River Valley Montgomery Whitethorne 1.9 0
New River Valley Montgomery Wall field corn 1.1 0
New River Valley Montgomery Wall sweet corn 20.8 0

 

Action threshold: Number of Corn Earworm Moths Caught in Pheromone trap
Per Day Per 5 Days Per Week Spray Interval for sweet corn
<0.2 <1 <1.4 No Spray
0.2 – 0.5 1.0 – 2.5 1.4 – 3.5 6 Day
0.5 – 1.0 2.5 – 5.0 3.5 – 7.0 5 Day
1.0 – 13.0 5.0 – 65.0 7.0 – 91.0 4 Day
>13.0 >65.0 >91.0 3 Day

 

 

Tarnished Plant Bug Update

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My name is Seth Dorman, and I’m a graduate student with Dr. Sally Taylor in the Virginia Tech Department of Entomology. My research focuses on tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris) management and distribution in Virginia cotton. In recent weeks, large numbers of tarnished plant bug have been active throughout southeastern Virginia in fallow fields and ditch banks with an abundance of flowering, weedy hosts as well as in corn. Plant bugs have begun migrating into some early-planted cotton fields and were observed in cotton fields in Suffolk and Southampton counties last week.

Tarnished plant bug feeding on weedy host, daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus).

Tarnished plant bug may move from preferred alternative hosts into cotton fields as flowering weeds senesce, and cotton plants begin to develop small, pinhead squares and subsequent flowers. Feeding during early squaring can cause plants to abort squares. Feeding on larger squares and small bolls may cause anthers in flowers to turn brown (“dirty bloom”), and small bolls to shed. Sustained feeding by tarnished plant bug from first square to early bloom can delay maturity and result in substantial losses. Scouting cotton fields once or twice a week is highly recommended after squares become visible on plants. The best indirect method for sampling plant bug is estimating square retention. Square retention can be measured by calculating the percentage of squares in the top two or three nodes of 25 randomly selected plants in a given field. If square retention drops below 80%, direct sampling for plant bugs with a sweep net is recommended. For sweep net sampling, conduct a minimum of eight 25-sweep samples randomly throughout your cotton field. We recommend using Admire Pro or other neonicotinoid products until bloom. Adult plant bugs can reinfest quickly following applications. Use restraint when treating early in the season when plants have time to compensate for injury.

Scar of an aborted square at the fruiting site on a cotton plant.

More updates on plant bug activity throughout Virginia’s cotton regions will be posted soon!

EPA decision on chlorpyrifos

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The head of the EPA, Scott Pruitt, signed an order last night denying the petition to ban chlorpyrifos (Lorsban). This decision will allow peanut growers in our area the continued use of this insecticide for the foreseeable future, perhaps until 2022 when the EPA is required to reevaluate safety of this product. The environmental group that filed the 2007 petition to ban chlorpyrifos has announced its plans to appeal the decision.  More information can be found here – https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-administrator-pruitt-denies-petition-ban-widely-used-pesticide-0

Warm weather and grain bin insects

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Our recent warm weather has done more than wake up your plants – it has signaled to many insects that it is time to start feeding and reproducing. Prompted by a call from ANR agent Mike Parrish in Dinwiddie County, I spoke today with Kathy Flanders at University of Auburn about her recommendations to mitigate insect injury in store grain. Her #1 suggestion – turn on those fans! Your goal should be to keep the temperature inside your bin below 60 degrees. Make sure and leave equipment running long enough to cool the entire structure. If you are unable to keep temperatures below this threshold, or if our nights do not stay cool, make sure to take samples regularly to scout for insect injury. Consult this guide for management recommendations specific to the Southeast: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/I/IPM-0330/IPM-0330.pdf.

View the Program: Virginia Eastern Shore Ag Conference and Trade Show

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We look forward to seeing you January 25th and 26th at the 27th Annual Eastern Shore Ag conference & Trade Show! You can find the program online at: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AEczhxLIHkUCwmY&cid=05F6B732110DB231&id=5F6B732110DB231%2129963&parId=5F6B732110DB231%21813&o=OneUp. Virginia pesticide re-certification and Certified Crop Adviser credits will be available. See the program for more information.

The event will be held at the Eastern Shore Community College Workforce Development Center, 29300 Lankford Highway, Melfa, VA 23410. When you enter the driveway to the Community College, we will be meeting in the building to the left.

The Annual Oyster Roast will be held on Wednesday night, January 25th beginning with a social at 6:00 pm and oysters served at 6:30 pm. Along with oysters, there will be all-you-can-eat barbecue, sides and beverages. Tickets will be $35.00 in advance and $40.00 if purchased the day of the oyster roast.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact either Theresa Pittman (tpittman@vt.edu) or Ursula Deitch (ursula@vt.edu) for accommodation. Thank you!

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Virginia Eastern Shore Ag Conference and Trade Show

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Join us in Melfa, VA for the 27th Annual Eastern Shore Agricultural Conference and Trade Show on January 25-26, 2017. This event is free, open to the public, and will be held at the Eastern Shore Community College Workforce Development Center. We will offer Virginia Pesticide Recertification credits for categories 1A, 10, 60, and 90. We will also offer Certified Crop Adviser Credits for nutrient management (2), soil and water (1), integrated pest management (4.5), crop management (6), and professional development (0.5). Click on the following link for topic areas being presented: ag-conf-press-release-2017

Insect update for Sep. 29, 2016

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The 2016 survey of Virginia soybean for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and kudzu bug is now finished.  We would like to acknowledge the Virginia Soybean Board and the USDA/NIFA Extension Implementation Project for their funding support.  Since mid-July, scouts Ed Seymore, Jamie Hogue, and the Tidewater AREC entomology crew made 867 soybean field visits to 68 counties for this project.  Ed and Jamie traveled a combined 22,600 miles.  BMSB were found in 42 counties, with the highest populations coming from Bedford, Shenandoah, Rappahannock, and Orange Counties.  Please see the map for the BMSB densities.

BMSB_density_map_2016

Large numbers of green stink bug were reported in soybean in King George (11 greens per sample), Nelson (12), New Kent (10), Rappahannock (11), and Lunenburg (9); these beans were all in the R6 growth stage.  The threshold for R3-4 to R7 stages is 5 stink bugs per 15 sweeps.  Moderate green stink bug populations (approximately 3-5) were reported in most of the other counties surveyed this past week.  After R7 (beginning maturity),  the stink bug threshold is doubled.

Scouts reported less than one kudzu bug nymph per 15 sweeps this week.  Over the course of the season, kudzu bugs were found in soybean in 32 counties.  Here is the final kudzu bug map:

KB_map_29_Sep_2016We conducted 77 cypermethrin vial tests this week with 61% survival by corn earworm moths.  We plan to finish out the season with what we collect and test next week.  The seasonal average now stands at 43.1% survival.

AVT_29_Sep_2016Finally, our black light traps have been shut down for 2016.  The assistance of the participating Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents, growers, and Virginia Tech faculty and staff in this study is greatly appreciated.  Here are the final tables for this season:  BLT_29_Sep_2016