June 8, 2011

European corn borer female moth

UNL Extension Entomology is monitoring crop insect pests using black light traps at the Haskell Ag Laboratory, Concord, South Central Ag Laboratory, Clay Center, and West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte.

Current data can be found at http://entomology.unl.edu/fldcrops/lightrap.shtml

This information can be used to monitor the seasonal occurrence of pest species. Peak moth flight precedes the occurrence of the damaging larval stages and provides an alert to check for the larval stages in your area.

Seasonal occurrence varies from year to year, based on degree-day accumulations. Levels of insects found in light traps cannot be used to predict economic damage in individual fields; often moths have preferences for specific growth stages, or other characteristics, which will influence damage to individual fields.

Bob Wright
Extension Entomologist