Ashley Dean
Ashley is an education extension specialist for field crop entomology at Iowa State University. She coordinates the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, the Regional Corn Rootworm Monitoring Network, and the Iowa Pest Alert Network. She also develops educational resources for field crop pests in Iowa and aids in the research efforts of the Soybean Research Laboratory. Her expertise is integrated pest management of insect pests and general agronomy. She received both her B.S. in Agronomy and M.S. in Entomology from Iowa State University prior to this role.
Subscribe to RSS FeedBlister beetles are an occasional late-summer problem in Iowa alfalfa fields. The beetles feed on alfalfa and soybean foliage, but leaf loss is not of economic importance. The bigger concern with blister beetles is their toxicity to livestock when accidentally consumed in feed. The beetles...
On June 14, Iowa State University extension entomologists put out a Pest Alert to scout for true armyworm because of statewide reports of this pest feeding on crops. In addition, there have been multiple...
We have had a busy few weeks fielding questions from farmers and agronomists about various insects that are feeding in crop fields. Temperatures have been warm and that has prompted many insects to resume activity – they are hungry! The biggest concern lately has been true armyworms, but other...
The trapping season for true armyworm (TAW) and black cutworm (BCW) has come to an end. We appreciate our cooperators for tirelessly checking traps the last two months and reporting their captures so we can provide the most accurate scouting information for these pests. To recap, we had 31...
Moth flights into Iowa slowed down a bit during Week 7 (May 14 to May 20). Cooperators for the Iowa Moth Trapping Network reported 147 black cutworm (BCW) and 130 true armyworm (TAW) moths, with three new significant flights of black cutworm. More details on significant flights and cutting dates...
Alfalfa growth is off to the races in many parts of Iowa, and we have heard reports from around the state that insects are very active in alfalfa as well. Field agronomists, especially in southern Iowa, have...
Western and northern corn rootworms are serious corn pests in Iowa and the Corn Belt. These pests readily adapt to management tactics, especially in continuous corn production. The larvae consume corn roots, thereby reducing nutrient and water uptake, and cause stalk lodging. The adults may also...
Week 6 (May 7 to May 13) of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network was vastly different than the week before. Our cooperators reported 239 black cutworm (BCW) and 295 true armyworm (TAW) moths, with several significant flights occurring around the state.
Recall that we predicted...
Very few moths were reported by our cooperators last week. During week 5 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 30 to May 6), our cooperators reported 41 black cutworm (BCW) and 32 true armyworm (TAW) moths around the state, and there were no new significant flights of BCW to report. However,...
Fewer moths were reported last week than in previous weeks, but even so, the northward migration of two pest species continues. During week 4 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 23 to April 29), our cooperators reported 71 black cutworm (BCW) and 85 true armyworm (TAW) moths around the...
Even with some cooler weather last week, moths continue to migrate northward into Iowa. During week 3 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 16 to April 22), our cooperators reported 83 black cutworm (BCW) and 110 true armyworm (TAW) moths around the state. Three additional significant flights...
Warm weather and strong winds during the second week of moth trapping pushed many moths northward into Iowa. During week 2 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 9 to April 15), our cooperators reported 95 black cutworm (BCW) and 46 true armyworm (TAW) moths around the state. Two significant...
The 2023 moth trapping season is underway, and our volunteers began placing traps the week of March 26. Black cutworm (BCW) monitoring is a long-standing project in Iowa, and true armyworm (TAW) was added in 2017. Both of these pests are migratory, making it difficult to predict where...
Each year new insect management resources are made available or are updated to provide the latest information. This blog provides a brief update to some popular resources.
The 2023 version of the Handy Bt Trait Table is now available through this Texas A&M Agrilife Extension...
Iowa State University’s IPM Team has monitored field crop pests for a long time. The pests have changed over the years, but the goal is the same: to help inform farmers about pest activity in Iowa. Our moth trapping efforts target migratory moths. Black cutworm monitoring is a long-standing...
Last year was the second season of an organized, regional corn rootworm monitoring effort with the Corn Rootworm IPM working group. This working group was formed to address regional concerns as corn rootworm populations continue to...
Several labs in the Midwest have been monitoring the distribution of soybean gall midge in Iowa since 2018. Last year, we sampled many counties in western Iowa but only confirmed three new counties. This year, we focused on the counties just east of the distribution in 2021 and were able to...
Twospotted spider mites have been noted in fields across much of Iowa already this summer, as much of Iowa is in abnormal or extreme drought (D0-D3, US Drought Monitor). Scouting for spider mites in field crops...
Western and northern corn rootworms are serious pests of corn throughout the Corn Belt (Photo 1). We recommend that farmers scout every cornfield every year, regardless of the management tactic(s) used, to evaluate management decisions and prepare for next year. It is a good idea to scout for...
Western and northern corn rootworm are serious pests of corn throughout the Corn Belt. We recommend that farmers scout every cornfield every year, regardless of the management tactic(s) used, to evaluate management decisions and prepare for next year. It is a good idea to scout for larvae early...
Today, while scouting for bean leaf beetle south of Ames, my lab found a few early vegetative plants with soybean aphid. Actually, it was Ashley Dean who found them. It was the ants moving on plants that caught her eye. Taking a closer look revealed a few small aphid colonies feeding on the...
Last year, entomologists and field specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach received many questions about effective management of corn rootworms as populations have increased in the past two years and farmers have experienced enhanced root injury during drought conditions....
The trapping season for true armyworm (TAW) and black cutworm (BCW) has come to an end. We appreciate our cooperators for tirelessly checking traps over the last two months and reporting their captures so we can provide the most accurate scouting information for these pests. To recap, we had 44...
Recent surveying suggests that farmers and their advisors are interested in receiving short bursts of information via text messaging. We formed the Iowa Pest Alert Network with the goal of providing short, timely insect pest updates to farmers and advisors through text messages. These updates...
Last week, moth flights into Iowa continued to decrease compared to previous weeks. In total, our cooperators captured 38 true armyworm (TAW) moths and 65 black cutworm (BCW) moths during Week 8 (May 15 to May 21).
Week 8 report:
Nearly all TAW moths were...