Most reporting black light trap stations this week had decreased corn earworm moth captures (except for Chesapeake remaining constant). Nightly averages were Chesapeake = 11; Southampton = 1; Suffolk = 8; and Warsaw = 4 moths. Here is the data table: BLT_7_Sep_2017
No brown marmorated stink bugs were caught this week in the black light traps.
Please join us for Virginia Tech’s Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center (ESAREC) 2017 Research Field Day on Wednesday, September 13th. Registration is free, open to the public and will begin at 8:00 AM at the ESAREC complex located at 33446 Research Drive, Painter, Virginia 23420. The field tour will begin at 9:00 AM and conclude with lunch at 12:30 PM. See the attached flyer for specific projects to be highlighted and more information.
If you would like more information or are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Lauren Seltzer at 757-414-0724 ext. 11 or email at mlpeyton@vt.edu.
This week, corn earworm (bollworm) moth captures in the black light trap were down at most locations (steady at Chesapeake and Prince George-Templeton), perhaps partly due to the rainy weather, but some “down” numbers are still pretty high (Suffolk, for example). The table is here: BLT_31_Aug_2017
We had no reports of any brown marmorated stink bugs captured in the black light traps this week.
We have vial-tested close to 1,000 corn earworm moths in Dr. Taylor’s pyrethroid resistance monitoring program in 2017, with an average of 38% survival.
NIghtly trap averages for corn earworm moths had a wide range this week–please see the attached pdf file for your most local data: CEW_24_Aug
Corn earworm moth captures in the black light traps ranged from 2 to 45 moths per night; brown marmorated stink bug catches ranged from zero to 2.6 per night. Here are the data tables: BLT_17_Aug_2017
In our corn earworm (bollworm) vial tests, we are averaging 39% moth survival, with 832 moths tested to date.
Black light trap captures of corn earworm/bollworm ranged from 5 to 78 moths per night this week. Brown marmorated stink bug captures ranged from zero to 2 per night. Here are the data tables: BLT_10_Aug_2017
Resistance monitoring of corn earworm/bollworm shows that this season in Suffolk, an average of 39% of moths survived the 24-hour exposure period to the pyrethroid, cypermethrin.
The attached pdf file is a summary of Dr. Sally Taylor’s corn earworm survey in field corn; it is useful in predicting the corn earworm pressure in other crops such as soybean, cotton, and peanut as moths emerge from the corn. There are many folks to acknowledge this year (also included in the pdf file). Please see: CEW_survey_results_2017
Twenty-three representative cotton fields in eight Virginia counties were scouted weekly for mean plant bug density. Data for the July 17th to August 3rd sampling period is represented in the distribution map below (follow link to view). Red dots on the map represent fields that have averaged at or above the spray threshold for plant bug during the sampling period. Plant bug densities for multiple fields has increased substantially since the last update in mid-July. Nineteen of the 23 sampled fields have reached the spray threshold at least once this season since sampling began in late-June. Plant bugs are present in every county sampled and are likely present in at least low numbers in all cotton growing counties in the state. Therefore, we recommend scouting your cotton fields regularly for plant bug.
The spray threshold for plant bug in Mid-Atlantic cotton is eight plant bugs (i.e., adults and nymphs) per 100 sweeps in addition to square retention below 80 percent. We recommend conducting four to eight random 25-sweep samples throughout each field. Once flowering begins, we recommend continuing sweep net sampling and also looking for dirty blooms (pictured below) or sample dime to quarter size-bolls from 25 random plants for internal feeding damage (e.g., warts, stained lint, punctures). Spray treatment may be warranted if dirty blooms and or internal damage exceeds 15 percent and plant bugs are also active in the field. Please refer to the Virginia Cotton Production Guide (pg. 23) or Pest Management Guide (sect. 4, pg. 88) for spray recommendations if spray threshold is reached.
“Dirty bloom” indicative of plant bug feeding.
When viewing the distribution map in full-screen mode, click on the left arrow icon to view map legend. Click on individual fields represented by colored dots on the map to view mean plant bug density for the sampling period as well as total mean density for the season. 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.
View full-screen distribution map
Plant bug distribution map for the July 17th to August 3rd sampling period.
Black light trap catches of corn earworm (aka bollworm) moths increased at most reporting stations, ranging from 5 to 58 per night this week. The pheromone traps at Suffolk also caught about 20 moths per night. Mike Arrington reported that he was seeing cotton fields (Bt and conventional) very close to egg threshold for bollworm in Suffolk and Southampton Counties.
Brown marmorated stink bugs ranged from zero to 1.7 per night. The data tables for corn earworm and BMSB are here: BLT_3_Aug_2017
Corn earworm moth survival in the cypermethrin vial tests was 36% for the week, and 40% for the seasonal average (to date). 
