Iowa Western Bean Cutworm Monitoring Network Summary 2010

Western bean cutworm (WBC) is an insect pest whose larvae feed on the kernels, leaves and other parts of the corn plant. Iowa State University coordinates a WBC monitoring network which records adult moth trap captures in Iowa. Trap captures can be used to help determine when to begin scouting for this insect pest

2010 Western Bean Cutworm Cooperators Needed

Western bean cutworm (WBC) is a corn pest that has been expanding it’s range across Iowa and into more eastern states. Beginning in 2003, Iowa State University set up a network of pheromone traps to monitor WBC range expansion and to provide moth emergence data to enhance scouting efforts. Pheromone trap cooperators included local seed corn dealers, private corn and soybean agronomists and others interested in pest management issues

Western Bean Cutworm Scouting Update

Western bean cutworm (WBC) moths have been reported in several Iowa counties. The first moth was captured in Adams County, located in the southeast part of the state, on June 16. Iowa State University trap data can be viewed by county. The presence of adult moths in traps indicates only that scouting efforts should begin in an area

Black Cutworm Scouting Advisory

With the unseasonably warm temperatures occurring earlier this year, we asked black cutworm monitoring participants to place moth traps during the end of March. The first moth was recorded in Muscatine County on March 20. Peak flights have been reported by cooperators in many parts of Iowa this year. Our predictions of cutting dates (the date when black cutworm larvae are likely to be damaging corn) are based on recorded peak flights which took place near the end of March and approximately two weeks later in Iowa. The map (Fig. 1) shows the predicted cutting dates for Iowa climate divisions. Where there are two dates, the top date is an estimate based on moth captures that occurred near the end of March; all other dates are based on mid-April captures

Seed Bank and Seasonal Patterns of the Eukaryotic SAR (Stramenopila, Alveolata and Rhizaria) Clade in a New England Vernal Pool

Vernal pools are dynamic freshwater ecosystems that dry during the summer. These unique habitats are vital to a number of well-studied animal species but there is little documentation of the diversity of the SAR—Stramenopila, Alveolata and Rhizaria—clade in vernal pools. Here, we characterize the protist community over a portion of the hydroperiod as the vernal pool transitions from its winter stage through its drying out in late summer. Our study focuses on the SAR clade, which encompasses a broad range of morphological diversity and a variety of trophic modes within the microbial food web. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigate the total community (DNA) and the active (RNA) members on a temporal scale. These molecular data reveal seasonality within microbial communities, suggesting a larger community of autotrophs in the winter followed by an increase in heterotrophs in the summer. Our analysis also suggests the presence of a microbial seed bank, a collection of encysted protists, in the sediments below the pool. We hypothesize the seed bank allows for community turnover: taxa encyst in the sediment in poor environmental conditions and exit their cysts when favorable conditions occur. We also observe seasonal preference and partitioning of the environment within clades of close relatives, including taxa closely related to the ciliate Halteria and the oomycete Haptoglossa. These data provide insights into the seasonal patterns of a frequently overlooked group of organisms in this unusual environment

Black Cutworm Scouting 2015

The black cutworm (BCW) is a migratory pest that cuts corn seedlings and feeds on leaf tissue. Scouting for BCW larvae helps to determine if an insecticide application will be cost effective. When to scout for BCW caterpillars is based on the peak flight of moths and accumulating degree days after the peak flight. A peak flight occurs when eight or more moths are caught over two nights in a wing style trap