Ashley Dean

Ashley is an education extension specialist for field crop entomology at Iowa State University. She coordinates the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, 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.

January 27, 2022 9:47 AM

In 2021, we initiated the first year of the regional corn rootworm monitoring network with the Corn Rootworm IPM working group. This working group was formed to address regional concerns as corn rootworm populations continue to overcome Bt corn hybrids and become more challenging to manage. The...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
July 21, 2021 7:09 AM

Last week, a team of us met up at the Iowa State University Southeast Research Farm (SERF) to evaluate root injury in a small trial for corn rootworm management. The trial had four treatments replicated eight times. The treatments included no management (glyphosate-tolerant only; no Bt traits or...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
June 18, 2021 4:42 PM

Today, our lab crew went to the Johnson Farm south of Ames, Iowa to evaluate a bean leaf beetle study. To our surprise, we found many V4-V6 plants with established soybean aphid colonies (Photo 1). It is not uncommon to find sporadic soybean aphids in June, but it is surprising to find a colony...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
June 10, 2021 1:56 PM

For the second year in a row, we’ve been hearing multiple reports of fields with high grub activity in central Iowa, particularly between Ames and Ankeny. Typically, people were called out to the field for other reasons but found grubs once they started digging. In fact, a field I visited last...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
June 10, 2021 1:36 PM

Most people are already finished with their first cutting of alfalfa throughout Iowa, but each of our 10 field agronomists reports that alfalfa weevil activity continues and has been much...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
June 3, 2021 11:16 AM

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 32...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 26, 2021 12:17 PM

For the first time during the 2021 moth trapping season, more total true armyworm moths were reported than black cutworm moths. During Week 8 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, our cooperators reported 109 total black cutworm (BCW) and 128 true armyworm (TAW) moths.

Week 8 report...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 20, 2021 1:49 PM

Western and northern corn rootworms are serious corn pests in Iowa and the Corn Belt, primarily due to their feeding habits but also because they can overcome nearly all management tactics available to farmers. The larvae tunnel into and consume corn roots, thereby reducing nutrient and water...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 20, 2021 11:59 AM

Reported captures for both species in the trapping network were down from previous weeks. During Week 7 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, our cooperators reported 60 total black cutworm (BCW) and 22 true armyworm (TAW) moths.

Week 7 report:

The TAW moths...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 12, 2021 2:03 PM

Black cutworm remains the dominant moth species captured by cooperators in our trapping network. During Week 6 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, our cooperators reported 73 total black cutworm (BCW) and 34 true armyworm (TAW) moths.

Week 6 report:

The TAW moths...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 11, 2021 1:03 PM

I am always surprised to find insect abundance and diversity when scouting in alfalfa. It never disappoints. At any point in the growing season, one is likely to find 20+ species of potential pests feeding on foliage. However, finding a lot of different insects at one time doesn’t necessarily...

Insects and Mites
May 6, 2021 1:43 PM

The weather warmed up a bit during Week 5 (April 25 to May 1), and the moths were flying more than previous weeks. During Week 5 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network, our cooperators reported 97 total black cutworm (BCW) and 33 true armyworm (TAW) moths.

Week 5 report:...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
April 29, 2021 3:10 PM

Cooler conditions continued into week 4, resulting in relatively few moths being caught across the state. During week 4 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 18 to April 24), our cooperators reported 56 total black cutworm (BCW) and 15 true armyworm (TAW) moths.

You may be wondering...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
April 28, 2021 2:38 PM

Just last week, Ashley Dean predicted overwintering mortality of bean leaf beetle in Iowa. It looked pretty grim for this soybean pest, with over 77% mortality predicted for central...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
April 26, 2021 12:02 PM

During week 3 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 11 to April 17), our cooperators reported 62 total black cutworm (BCW) and 9 true armyworm (TAW) moths. Cooler conditions recently may have slowed down moth migration into the state, but black cutworm remains the dominant species caught in...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
April 14, 2021 4:32 PM

Even though the weather has been variable this past week, one thing is certain: black cutworm is moving through Iowa. During week 2 of the Iowa Moth Trapping Network (April 4 to April 10), our cooperators reported 122 total black cutworm (BCW) and 21 true armyworm (TAW) moths. Windy conditions...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
April 8, 2021 11:02 AM

The 2021 moth trapping season is underway, and our volunteers placed traps the week of March 28. 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 populations will...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
February 16, 2021 1:35 PM

One of the most common questions coming out of any winter is “how did the insects do?” In winters like this, where we have extended cold spells, farmers and agronomists alike want to know whether the cold was enough to kill some of our most common crop pests. Entomologists Erin Hodgson and...

Insects and Mites
February 15, 2021 11:00 AM

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...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
January 7, 2021 4:26 PM

Soybean gall midge is an emerging pest that only occurs in five Midwest states. Researchers in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota began investigating this pest in 2019 after widespread reports of significant injury raised awareness early in the 2018 growing season. Although a lot of...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
August 14, 2020 7:07 AM

Caterpillars have been extremely active this year, especially in soybean. We suspect that late-season infestations of caterpillars in corn are no exception. These infestations are serious because these caterpillars feed on the ear and/or tunnel into stalks. Their feeding can also lead to...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
July 18, 2020 11:30 AM

With several severe weather events in Iowa this month, reports of lodged corn are coming our way. Often times, a small part of the field is flattened and would be difficult to see from the edge. I encourage you to get out into cornfields and see how your stands look this month. In some cases,...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
June 3, 2020 9:59 AM

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 36...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 27, 2020 5:17 PM

More large flights of moths were reported across Iowa last week. In fact, the statewide weekly totals for both true armyworm (TAW) and black cutworm (BCW) far exceeded those of previous weeks. Across the state, our cooperators reported a total of 243 TAW moths and 188 BCW moths between May 17...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites
May 22, 2020 11:59 AM

Thanks to ISUEO Field Agronomist Meaghan Anderson and Extension Entomologist Ashley Dean, I had a great field scouting adventure in central Iowa. First visiting the field for poor germination and other issues, Meaghan was digging in the soil in search of more information and found grubs! So of...

Crop Production, Insects and Mites

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