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 of black cutworm occurred last week (refer to the Week 2 update for an explanation of significant flights).
Week 3 report:
Almost all of the TAW moths reported last week flew in between April 19 and April 21. This makes sense since we had high winds those days (up to 45 mph!). These dates are also when we saw most of the BCW reports for last week (55 reported on April 20 and 21) and coincide with the significant flights that occurred. Last week, there were significant flights reported in Buena Vista County (NW Iowa), Taylor County (SW Iowa), and Floyd County (NE Iowa) on April 19, April 20, and April 21, respectively. Figures 1 and 2 show the Week 3 trap reports for true armyworm and black cutworm, respectively.
Follow the links to see the report from Week 1 or Week 2. You can also track moth flights and black cutworm significant flights for Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin at https://corn.ipmpipe.org/insects/.
Surrounding states also monitor and report BCW and TAW captures. If you live near the state border, it may be beneficial to check these resources periodically. More resources may be available than what is listed here:
Ashley Dean Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Specialist II
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 ...