Corn Insects

Figure 1. Japanese beetles will first feed on the leaves of soybean (left) or corn. In corn they'll move to the silks (right) when they become available. (Photos by Justin McMechan)
Figure 1. Japanese beetles will first feed on the leaves of soybean (left) and corn. In corn they'll move to the silks (right) when they become available. (Photos by Justin McMechan)

Scout Corn and Soybean for Japanese Beetles

June 25, 2018
Japanese beetles are emerging in eastern Nebraska and will continue to emerge for the next couple of weeks. As numbers will be highest in field margins, growers are advised to scout across the whole field before determining the need for treatment.

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Western bean cutworm moth
Western bean cutworm moth

Using Degree-Day Models to Predict Western Bean Cutworm Flights

June 21, 2018
By using a degree-day model, growers can account for the effect of temperature on insect development and approximate when certain insect stages will occur. See predicted cutworm flights and recommended scouting periods for 14 Nebraska locations.

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Figure 1. Seasonal ecology of wheat stem maggot (Allen 1933) overlaid on 2017 field issues. Arrows indicate likely source of infestation started with adult movement in the spring.
Figure 1. Seasonal ecology of wheat stem maggot (Allen 1933) overlaid on 2017 field issues. Arrows indicate likely source of infestation started with adult movement in the spring.

Wheat Stem Maggot Adult Monitoring: A Pest of Cover Crop-to-Corn Transitions

April 25, 2018
This article looks at wheat stem maggots in cover crops-to-corn transitions, including their biology, risk for damage to early season corn, and what to look for this spring.

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First portion of the Handy Bt Trait Table

Handy Bt Trait Table Updated for 2018 Corn

January 31, 2018
The Handy Bt Trait Table, which lists the types of Bt hybrids present for all commercialized corn, has been updated for 2018. Now in its 15th year, the table has become the standard authoritative reference to Bt toxins in corn.

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Fall armyworm and corn earworm on non-Bt corn.

Researching What Could be Tomorrow's Problem Corn Ear Pest

September 13, 2017
Nebraska and Brazilian entomology researchers have joined to study current and expected corn insect pests and how management strategies can be changed to address population shifts.

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Twospotted spider mites
Twospotted spider mites. Almost microscopic in size, the spider mites may be imperceptible on a leaf, but become more visible against its silk-like webs. (Photo by Jim Kalisch)

Spider Mite Reports Increasing

July 28, 2017
Spider mite populations are increasing in Nebraska. Fields should be scouted and the species correctly identified to provide proper management. Population levels should also be considered when treating fields with other insecticides that may knock out all natural predators, leading to population explosions of spider mites.

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Damage to corn leaf by western corn rootworm
Figure 1. Damage to corn leaf caused by western corn rootworn. (Photo by Robert Wright)

Time to Scout for Western Corn Rootworm Beetles

June 29, 2017
Western corn rootworm beetles began emerging in southeast and south central Nebraska this week. Before corn silks emerge, they're apt to feed by scraping the surface tissue, leaving a white parchment-like appearance.

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Differential grasshopper

They're Back ... Time to Scout Field Borders for Grasshoppers

June 22, 2017
Populations of immature grasshoppers have been reported in areas bordering crop fields. If you're seeing one of the four species that harm cropland noted here, control may be warranted. Treatment is most effective when grasshoppers are small and still contained in field borders.

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