The common name ‘armyworm’ is added as an identifier based mostly on behavior. Larvae move in large groups, sometimes over quite impressive distances. In severe cases, a feeding wave can be seen, like the front line of an advancing Army. Taxonomy (the science of grouping and naming organisms) can be equally important though. Of the… Continue reading
Please take note that the 2nd flight of Mamestra configurata is much higher than normal. Larvae of this species exhibit armyworm behavior – larvae move and feed in groups. Visually scan fields for areas of defoliation or seedpod feeding, and search surrounding soil – or better yet flag the location and return at night. Damage… Continue reading
Original content is great, but sometimes it is unnecessary to reinvent the wheel, or in this case, the YouTube video about armyworm damage in wheat. We are starting to monitor true armyworm (Mythimna unipuncta) in the PNW, but efforts from Midwest states are much more deliberate because the species can be so damaging to large… Continue reading
60% of monitored locations had a positive catch of true armyworm this week. The average was 0.35 moths per day. The average last year (17 July 2018) was 0.00 moths per day. More info available here: http://beav.es/ZY3
Regional trapping of true armyworm (M. unipuncta) in Tillamook county has been ongoing since May. Only 6 of the 15 original monitoring sites remain, but at those sites, we have seen a sharp increase in trap counts. We know that it is normal for armyworm to have 3 generations per year, which matches the pattern… Continue reading
Regional trapping in Tillamook county has been ongoing for 6 weeks. We’ve recently begun to incorporate GIS maps to make it easier for program leaders and participants to visualize ‘hot-spots’ of armyworm moth activity. Of 15 total monitoring sites, positive trap counts this week are confined to a 5 mi2 area, centralized around Tillamook city… Continue reading
Other regional agencies will be initiating a trapping program for this species and other armyworms. The presence of moths reported here are considered ‘non-target by-catch’ = the large yellow underwing moths (Noctua pronuba) were caught in pheromone traps deployed for other species in another program (OSU VegNet). Nevertheless, it has proven to be at least… Continue reading
…Could be the name of a Halloween party cover band, don’t you think? But in fact, these are the common names for Pyraloidea adults and larvae, respectively. Pyraloidea is the third largest superfamily of the Lepidoptera, and is comprised of two families – Pyralidae and Crambidae. Together, there are about 16K species worldwide. Within the… Continue reading
Soil type and the parameters associated with it (water holding capacity, %OM, etc.) could be important as we continue to investigate armyworm population dynamics. The Web Soil Survey is a useful, interactive tool that is freely available to all. We are trying to discern why certain sites in our Tillamook trapping effort have 10-20X the… Continue reading