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August 17, 2010
Captures of yellow woolly bear moths have increased greatly in the black light trap at the South Central Ag Lab near Clay Center. More than 600 moths were captured Aug. 9. (See light trap report.)
Yellow woolly bear caterpillars are becoming more common in soybean fields, and may be increasing in numbers over the next few weeks. Sometimes woolly bear caterpillars are killed by naturally occurring insect-attacking fungi. I found numerous dead woolly bear caterpillars on the upper canopy of a soybean field at the South Central Ag Lab last week. It is possible the warm humid nights we had earlier in August favored the growth of these fungi.
Woolly bear caterpillars feed on a wide range of cultivated and weedy plants and may migrate from field edges into soybean fields, or develop within the field.
Guidelines for control of soybean-defoliating insects were discussed in an Aug. 6 CropWatch article, Decision-Making Guide for Defoliating Insects in Soybean.
Bob Wright
Extension Entomologist, Lincoln
Light Trap Catches
View light trap data from three UNL sites on the UNL Department of Entomology Insect Almanac Light Trap Data page.
