• Flat, oval, pinhead-sized eggs turn from white to black before hatching

• Whitish-grey larvae have small brown/black spots and a shiny black head

• Yellowish females and darker males have wavy bands across wings

• Pinhead-sized eggs turn from pearly white to purple before hatching

• Young, dark brown larvae have faint diamond-like marks on their backs

• Grey to pinkish older larvae have two brown rectangles behind the head

• Adults have a light tan stripe, a white “eyespot,” and a white arc-shaped spot on their wings

• Tiny eggs are light yellow

• Larvae vary in color, but have alternating light and dark stripes and dark bumps along the length of the body

• Adults are grayish-brown

• Dome-shaped eggs are dirty-white to gray and have a moldy or hairy appearance

• Dark green larvae have yellow/orange stripes on their sides and backs and a white, upside-down, Y-shaped marking on their head.

• Grayish, mottled adults have white markings near the wing tips

• Overwinters as larvae in corn stalks and pupates in the Spring

• Females lay eggs on the underside of corn leaves, often in the middle third of the plant

• Larvae present before tasseling move to the lower part of the stalk

• Larvae present after tasseling tunnel into the stalk or ear

• Two generations per year in Nebraska

• Overwinters as pre-pupae in the soil

• Females lay eggs on the upper side of corn leaves

• Young larvae feed on pollen, tassel tissue, or green silks

• Older larvae tunnel into ears to feed on developing kernels before dropping to the soil to pupate

• One generation per year

• Overwinters as pupae in the soil, but not in Nebraska

• Adults return from the south each year

• Females lay eggs individually on ear silks

• Larvae tunnel into ears to feed on developing kernels before dropping to the soil to pupate

• Multiple generations per year in warmer climates

• Usually two generations per year in Nebraska

• Overwinters as pupae in the soil, but not in Nebraska

• Adults return from the south each year

• Females lay eggs on immature plant leaves

• Larvae feed on whorl tissue or tunnel directly into ears to feed on developing kernels before dropping to the soil to pupate

• Multiple generations per year in warmer climates

• Usually two generations per year in Nebraska

• Statewide, but most common in central and western regions

• Common in areas where continuous corn or sandy soils prevail

• Statewide

• Also attacks sorghum, soybean, fruit and vegetable crops

• Statewide, but most common in the east

• Also attacks soybeans and some small grains

• 1st gen: Late June to early July

• 2nd gen: Late July, August, and sometimes early September

• Adults fly in July

• Larvae can be found July to September

• Adults arrive in June and July from the south

• Larvae are found in late July to September

• Adults arrive in June and July from the south

• Larvae are found in late July to September

• 1st gen: Whorls and surrounding leaves with a “shot-hole” appearance

• 2nd gen: Ear shanks, stalks, and cobs with feeding damage and entry holes

• Damaged ears that may contain multiple larvae

• Damaged ears may have a secondary fungal infection

• 1st gen: Defoliation

• 2nd gen: Damaged ears that usually contain a single larva

• Damaged ears may have a secondary fungal infection

• 1st gen: Plants with damaged whorls, defoliation, and stunting

• 2nd gen: Damaged ears with potential secondary fungal infection

• 1st gen: Examine 25 corn whorls at each of 4 locations in each field

• Count the number of plant whorls with feeding damage and the number of live larvae per plant

• Calculate the average number of live larvae per damaged plant

• 2nd gen: Select 10 plants in each of 5 locations in each field and count egg masses

• Consider treating if the economic threshold of 25-50% of plants with an egg mass is exceeded and corn is at blister stage or earlier

• Select 10 plants in 5 or more areas of each field

• Examine the surface of corn leaves in the upper third of the plant for egg masses and the tassel, leaf axils, and ear tips for young larvae

• Treatment is recommended if 5-8% of plants are infested with eggs or larvae and if corn is at least 95% tasseled

• If corn is at milk stage before eggs are laid, no treatment is needed

• Examine silks for eggs and ear tips for small larvae during the green silking period

• Treatment is not usually economically justified for field corn

• Seed corn, popcorn, and sweet corn may require treatment

• Scout late-planted fields as they reach V5-V8

• Examine ear tips for the presence of larvae

• Treatment thresholds are based on defoliation levels and the potential for larvae to enter the ear

• Plant corn with one or more of the following traits: Cry1Ab, VIP3A, Cry1F, Cry1A.105, and Cry2Ab2.

• Consider planting locally adapted varieties that have some resistance to ECB and yield well.

• The decision to treat for either ECB generation is complicated; please consult appropriate NebGuide for guidance.

• Plant corn with VIP3A or Cry1F traits.

• Note that the efficacy of Cry1F has decreased in some areas; DuPont Pioneer no longer lists WBC as a pest controlled by Cry1F.

• Scout Cry1F fields in areas where reduced efficacy has been observed, such as southwest and central Nebraska, and consider treating if thresholds are exceeded.