New York Western Bean Cutworm, Black Cutworm, and True Armyworm in Field Corn Monitoring Program, Progress Report 2019

Abstract

Western bean cutworm (Striacosta albicosta [Smith]) attacks corn (Zea mays L.; including field, sweet and popcorn) and dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), feeding on developing kernels or beans inside husks and pods, respectively. Western bean cutworm (WBC) infestations can cause significant yield losses and may facilitate subsequent colonization by pathogens, furthering damage and impacts. This pest has become an economic issue for many growers ranging from the Midwest through the Northeast US and Southern Ontario and Quebec. Loses from this insect can be as high as 8-10% in dry beans and 40% or more in field corn grain yields. WBC was first found in New York in 2009. This pest has expanded and has steadily increased across the state since first discovered. A trapping network was established in 2010 to monitor WBC populations as they invade NYS. There were not a lot of reports of economic damage by WBC this year. The fact that corn planting was delayed in much of the state may have avoided the peak flight of moths laying eggs on pre-tassel corn. We also established a migratory insect pest-monitoring network for black cutworm (BCW) and true armyworm (TAW) with 16 locations in 2019. This was useful for knowing when BCW and TAW arrived in New York, and could potentially be used to calculate degree-day models from the biofix dates.