![]() Insecticides can be effective in infested crops. Eggs hatch one or two days after turning purple. If egg masses are found but are still white (newly laid), flag the plant and return in a few days to determine if the eggs are turning purple indicating that they are ready to hatch. Focus on the top three-to-four upper leaves of the plant. Scouting for WBC is important: scout 20 plants in five areas of the field from early July to the end of August, particularly when the crop is in the pre-tassel to full tassel stages. As the eggs mature, they turn to tan, then purple in colour before hatching. WBC eggs are the size of a pinhead, pearly white when first laid, and are shaped like tiny cantaloupes. Each wing of the moth has a white band running along the edge or margin of the wing and has a spot or “moon” and comma-like mark approximately two-thirds of the way down the wing. ![]() Mature larvae drop to the ground when fully developed and burrow into the soil to overwinter as pupa in earthen chambers.Īdult moths are easy to identify from other corn pests. And because the larvae are very mobile, they can disperse from the original egg site to other plants in the vicinity both up and across corn rows.īesides yield loss, WBC can also be associated with quality concerns (mould or mycotoxin development) as ear feeding allows an entry point for secondary infections. Numerous WBC can be found in a single ear. As the ear shoots emerge, the larvae migrate there and enter through the tip or side husk to feed on silks and developing kernels. The new larvae are the most damaging – they seek out the whorl of the corn plant to begin feeding on the newly emerged tassel and pollen. In ideal conditions with warm weather, this can occur earlier in the season. Once the corn crop is in tassel or beyond, they prefer to lay their eggs on the underside of dry bean leaves or later-planted corn fields still in pre-tassel stages in July and August. The moths mate, and the females deposit eggs in clusters of up to 200 eggs on the upper side of pre-tasseled corn leaves. In June and early July the larvae pupate and emerge from the soil as moths. The insect overwinters as larvae or pre-pupae in the soil. It goes through four stages of development – egg, larvae, pupa, and adult (moth). Western bean cutworm (WBC) is a common pest of corn. ![]() Western bean cutworm biology & life cycle ![]()
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