Despite the cold weather last week (April 12-18), moths were active throughout Iowa. April 13 had the most reports. Our cooperators around the state reported a total of 24 black cutworm (BCW) and 12 true armyworm (TAW) moths on that day alone. Figures 1 and 2 show the total moth captures in each county from April 12 to April 18 for TAW and BCW, respectively.
No intensive (significant) flights of BCW have been reported yet. An intensive flight of BCW occurs when 8 or more moths are caught in a pheromone trap over 2 consecutive nights. No such threshold exists for TAW, but we monitor flights in the state to inform farmers and support scouting activities.
Reports from Weeks 1 and 2 can be found here.
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:
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- Extension Education Specialist, Entomology