Story Posted: June 30, 2010
Insect Monitoring Update, June 30, 2010
This week's insect update includes: Precipitation levels, Diamondback moth, Bertha armyworm, Grasshoppers, Cereal Leaf Beetle, Wheat Midge, Cabbage root maggot, Cabbage seedpod weevil.
Greetings! Here's where the rain fell across the prairies over the past seven days.
The south Peace continues to miss out on rain while southern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan enjoyed the absence of rain. Central Alberta, central Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba received some moisture this past week. The canola has started to flower and wheat is heading out signaling scouting for Cabbage seedpod weevil and Wheat midge.
Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella)
Pheromone traps monitoring adult Diamondback moths are now coming down for the season. Fields across the prairies are reporting the first Diamondback larvae so monitoring for this pest needs to continue. A description of monitoring methods for larvae can be found at: http://www.westernforum.org/IPMNProtocols.html then click on Diamondback moth to get to the monitoring recommendations for larvae on canola plants.
Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata)
The degree-day accumulations for the predicted emergence of Bertha armyworm adults in 2010 are shown below. Most of the prairies have accumulated 90-100% of heat requirements necessary for adults to emerge from pupae in the soil.
Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
As of June 28, the model predicted that 20% of the eggs had not yet hatched. Approximately 69% of the population is between first and third instar. The model predicts that by next week 9% of the population should be in the fourth instar and 1% of the population should be in the fifth instar stage.
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|
|
| |
| Prov |
Location |
Average of % at Egg Stage |
Average of % at First-Third Instar Stages |
| MB |
Brandon |
1.0 |
88.9 |
| MB |
Carman |
0.0 |
28.9 |
| MB |
Dauphin |
0.4 |
69.1 |
| MB |
Melita |
0.9 |
91.6 |
| MB |
Swan River |
12.4 |
73.0 |
| SK |
Kindersley |
40.4 |
44.7 |
| SK |
Maple Creek |
23.6 |
76.4 |
| SK |
Melfort |
10.6 |
85.8 |
| SK |
Regina |
11.4 |
81.9 |
| SK |
Rosetown |
3.8 |
89.9 |
| SK |
Saskatoon |
3.3 |
86.0 |
| SK |
Scott |
9.7 |
66.2 |
| SK |
Swift Current |
64.9 |
35.1 |
| SK |
Val-Marie |
10.6 |
84.6 |
| AB |
Calgary |
77.6 |
22.4 |
| AB |
Edmonton |
41.7 |
58.3 |
| AB |
Fairview |
11.6 |
85.4 |
| AB |
Fort Vermilion |
0.2 |
71.5 |
| AB |
Grande Prairie |
26.3 |
73.7 |
| AB |
Halkirk |
79.4 |
20.6 |
| AB |
High Level |
15.5 |
84.5 |
| AB |
Lethbridge |
5.1 |
79.2 |
| AB |
Manning |
15.7 |
78.4 |
| AB |
Medicine |
4.8 |
89.4 |
| AB |
Prince Albert |
5.6 |
85.4 |
| AB |
Red Deer |
75.4 |
24.6 |
| |
Average |
20.5 |
68.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cereal Leaf Beetle (Oulema melanopus)
Lloyd Dosdall and Hector Carcamo report that cereal leaf beetle populations are once again active in southern AB in 2010, albeit their development has been somewhat delayed due to the cooler weather. Fortunately, our survey of winter wheat in southwest SK was completed before the heavy rains and the floods. We're in the process of sorting the sweep samples but to date we have found only the one adult beetle, that being in RM 111.
Cereal leaf beetle is an alien invasive species that is native to Eurasia, and was first discovered on the prairies in Alberta in 2005. In 2008, cereal leaf beetle was also found in southwest SK and in 2009, a somewhat significant population turned up in northwest MB in the Swan River area. Adults and larvae feed on all cereals including oats, wheat, and barley. Lloyd heads up a research team with a mandate to develop a management strategy for cereal leaf beetle in advance of the occurrence of large-scale infestations on the prairies.
For an overview of this pest, check the North Dakota Agriculture website:
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/pests/e1230.pdf
Wheat Midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana)
You will recall from last year's survey of wheat midge larvae in soil; the potential risk to cereals going into this growing season was significantly less than the previous year. However, the survey results indicated that there are still a number of pockets of high larval counts across the prairies (see below). Wheat midge development is affected by temperature and soil moisture. This growing season, most regions of the Prairies have received more than 20mm of rainfall in May. As a result, 10%, 50% and 90% emergence of adult wheat midge should occur after 693, 784 and 874 degree-days (base 5oC), respectively. As of the end of June, the degree-day accumulations (base 5oC) in 2010 are somewhat advanced relative to last year (see Figure below). The data suggest that emergence of wheat midge adults is well underway in eastern areas of the Prairies. So it is important that producers monitor their fields during heading and anthesis for the presence of adult wheat midge.
Photos and a description of monitoring methods for adult wheat midge can be found at: http://www.westernforum.org/IPMNProtocols.html then click on Wheat midge.
Cabbage root maggot (Delia spp.)
Reports of root maggots on canola have been surfacing this past week across the prairies. Fields in Manitoba, central Alberta and the Peace have high numbers of larvae feeding on the roots of canola plants.
Cabbage seedpod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus)
Canola in southern Alberta is flowering and high numbers of weevils have been observed in a few areas (e.g., exceeding threshold numbers near Vulcan). Insecticide spraying has started in some fields to manage the weevils. Monitor fields as they start to flower. Photos and monitoring recommendations can be found at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex2538.
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