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From: Jack Bacheler, Extension Entomologist
A significant portion of our cotton continues to shut down, with a number of fields well past the stage of being either attractive or vulnerable to bollworms and stink bugs. Cotton which has reached the stage where small terminal squares and blooms are hard to find in representative areas of cotton fields is no longer susceptible to bollworm, stink bug or plant bug damage. This was the case in a Bertie County stink bug threshold test this past Tuesday, August 19, where blooms were getting scarce, the upper square retention had dropped to less than 10 percent, and stink bug damage to quarter-sized bolls in the untreated check had dropped to approximately 2 percent. In our Wayne County stink bug test this morning, where moisture has been very good throughout the season and the cotton is 5+ feet in height, stink bug damage had averaged just under 30 percent internal boll damage in the untreated check over the past three weeks. The untreated check this morning was still at 30 percent, indicating that decent stink bug populations may be present in good moisture or late maturing situations. However, because this cotton field was in its sixth week of blooming, the 30 percent internal boll damage threshold would have just barely been met in producer fields.
On very rare occasions, beet and/or fall armyworms can migrate into North Carolina cotton fields in high enough numbers to cause economic damage to conventional and Bollgard cotton as late as the first week in September. Bollgard II and Widestrike cotton varieties are not susceptible to this damage. I have not been made aware of any economic damage by the above two pests, though both species are present in some cotton fields at low levels.
With our 2008 season’s cotton crop rapidly coming to a close, this would be a good time to plan on attending the September 10, 2008 Cotton Field Day at Rocky Mount, beginning with Registration at 12:30 p.m. and the tours getting underway at 1:30 p.m. This year’s tour stops will include a look at new weed management systems, managing difficult thrips problems, defoliation strategies, bloom-time fungicide applications for boll rot and hard lock control, fertilizer cost savings strategies, underappreciated soil compaction problems, and OVT tests of current and promising varieties.
Because we still have some potential insect damage in isolated cotton fields, I’ll provide the next and probably final insect update next Friday, August 29.
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Fall armyworm activity seems to be picking up in eastern North Carolina pastures. I don't have details, but two county Extension agents are reporting fall armyworms (image from the University of Georgia archives; http://www.bugwood.org) in forages. For more information, see the notice from Amy Andrews on the Jones County Center web site at http://jones.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=FIEL+2 and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Note Management of Fall Armyworm in Pastures and Hayfields on the web at http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1019/.
Amy has also reported chinch bugs (image from the Texas A&M University Department of Entomology) doing significant damage in millet. Fields need to be scouted for these critters NOW and for the next few weeks.
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Where are all the orangestiped oakworms? These tiny caterpillars (image by James R. Baker) are often seen stripping the leaves of (usually) pin oak and willow oak. My guess is that the dry, hard clay soils have been too much for them to navigate. This caterpillar pupates in the ground. If the ground is like a brick, it makes it harder to come and go. I recently received a report of them from a part of the state with sandier soil. If you've had them before, watch for defoliated ends of branches and falling black fecal pellets on cars, lawn furniture or sidewalks beneath trees. These don't seem to kill trees, but can totally defoliate smaller trees. I've never seen a tree actually killed by them, even after repeated defoliation. A B.t. microbial insecticide would be a good treatment at their first appearance. Most of the other caterpillar insecticides should also be effective, if appropriately labeled.
Flatworms are animals that usually seek shelter during hot, dry conditions. They are predaceous on other, less fortunate animals they encounter while slithering about under rocks, logs, mulch, etc. Flatworms feed on earthworms and slug and snail eggs! Bipalium kewense (image by Ed T. Schmidtmann, USDA/ARS) is an introduced critter occasionally reported in greenhouses and now in some garden beds.
If you studied planaria in high school biology lab, then you know something about flatworms. Flatworms are interesting because of their powers of regeneration. If you cut a flatworm crosswise, the tail end will grow a new head and the head end will grown a new tail. If you cut them lengthwise, each side regenerates another. If you cut the head in two lengthwise but leave the body intact, the worm will grow two heads. No control recommendations seem necessary for the flatworms. The point is, don't just cut one in half thinking you killed it. For more information about Bipalium, see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_IN206.
I mentioned how the drought and hard ground seems to have reduced populations of the orangestriped oakworm. Along that same thinking, Japanese beetles, green June beetles and even the annual cicada populations have all seemed lower this year. All of these insects spend time in the soil and must maneuver into or out of the soil. Soil moisture, in general, is also a critical factor for many soil insects. My own observations and comments from others lead me to believe that lightning bug populations are also reduced from recent years. Before you become too smug, yellow jacket populations seem to have increased by most accounts.
From: Richard W. Rhodes, County Extension Director, Bertie County
***************************************************************************
Windsor Woodard Hexlena Roxobel Colerain
********** ********** ********** ********** **********
Date Moths GSB Moths GSB Moths GSB Moths GSB Moths GSB
***************************************************************************
July 16 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
July 17 0 0 7 0 0 0 10 0 0 0
July 18 0 0 4 0 0 0 7 0 0 0
July 19 0 0 7 0 0 0 - - 0 0
July 20 0 0 4 0 0 0 - - 0 0
July 21 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 7 0 0
July 22 0 2 6 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
July 23 2 1 4 0 0 0 - - 32 2
July 24 0 3 8 0 0 2 5 2 57 2
July 25 2 1 13 0 0 0 2 0 62 1
July 26 6 3 15 0 - - - - - -
July 27 12 3 18 0 - - - - - -
July 28 7 1 17 0 3 3 7 1 160 4
July 29 12 0 49 0 5 0 31 1 370 5
July 30 39 6 30 0 - - 8 1 - -
July 31 46 4 18 0 15 0 8 0 92 0
August 1 - - 1 0 17 0 28 1 192 1
August 2 79 6 0 0 - - 14 0 - -
August 3 - - 18 0 - - - - - -
August 4 35 2 48 2 41 0 29 3 730 6
August 5 - - 38 2 - - 13 1 360 6
***************************************************************************
Moths = Bollworm moths; GSB = Green stink bugs
From: Al Hight, County Extension Director, Brunswick County
******************************************* Date CEW GSB ECB THW ******************************************* July 28 18 6 - - July 29 16 3 - - July 30 14 - - - July 31 light turned off by mistake August 1 37 6 - - August 2 28 6 - - August 3 21 4 - 1 August 4 37 6 - - August 5 22 5 1 - August 6 22 10 - - August 7 25 8 1 - August 8 21 5 - 1 August 10 17 4 2 - August 12 7 - 1 - August 13 10 2 - 1 ******************************************* CEW = corn earworm; GSB = green stink bug; ECB = European corn borer; THW = tobacco hornworm
From: Mike Williams, County Extension Director, Chowan County
********************************
Bollworm Stink
Date moths bugs
********************************
July 24 10 -
July 25 15 2
July 26 14 0
July 27 - -
July 28 66 3
July 29 50 0
July 30 - -
July 31 228 3
August 1 115 0
August 2 60 0
August 3 21 6
August 4 56 0
August 5 67 16
August 6 55 5
August 7 58 1
August 8 - -
August 9 122 5
August 10 - -
August 11 77 0
August 12 13 0
August 13 31 0
August 14 23 0
August 15 35 2
August 16 - -
August 17 26 2
August 18 17 0
August 19 22 1
August 20 17 -
August 21 13 1
August 22 7 -
********************************
From: Mike Carroll, Agricultural Extension Agent, Craven County
*************************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
**************************************************************
Date THW TBW CEW GSB BSB ECB FAW BAW Looper
*************************************************************************
July 18 4 0 28 4 1 2 7 - -
July 21 0 0 6 6 1 5 3 1 1
July 23 3 0 21 1 1 2 4 0 1
July 25 3 1 29 4 0 3 1 1 0
July 28 2 1 82 3 1 3 0 2 3
July 30 5 - 62 3 1 3 6 3 3
August 1 - - - - - - - - -
August 4 7 3 227 13 2 5 12 4 4
August 6 4 0 190 14 1 2 17 2 2
August 8 3 0 90 5 2 2 13 2 0
August 11 4 0 97 2 0 2 14 0 2
August 13 2 0 55 1 0 2 3 1 2
August 15 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0
August 18 3 2 43 4 0 0 5 2 1
August 20 1 0 9 1 0 1 2 0 0
*************************************************************************
THW = tobacco hornworms; TBW = tobacco budworms; CEW = corn earworms;
GSB = green stink bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs; ECB = European corn
borers; FAW = fall armyworms; BAW = beet armyworms
Location of trap: Cove City
Cooperators: R&W McCoy Farms and Cove City Fertilizer
From: Colby S. Lambert, Agricultural Extension Agent, Cumberland County
*****************************************
Number of Adult Insects
*******************************
Date THW CEW GSB BSB
*****************************************
July 23 1 8 1 0
July 25 2 29 1 0
July 28 6 165 13 0
July 30 2 190 3 0
August 1 0 98 3 0
August 4 0 101 9 0
August 7 0 160 10 0
August 8 - - - -
August 11 2 74 2 0
August 13 2 15 0 0
August 15 1 13 3 0
August 19 11 63 8 0
August 22 12 115 6 0
*****************************************
THW = tobacco hornworms; CEW = corn earworms;
GSB = green stinks bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs
Trap located in Godwin at Cumberland/Harnett County Line
at Lewis Farms off of Highway 301
From: Curtis D. Fountain, Agricultural Extension Agent, Duplin County
***********************************
Number of Adult Insects
************************
Date BW GSB BSB
***********************************
July 2 0 0 0
July 4 1 4 0
July 7 1 8 0
July 9 0 6 0
July 11 0 12 1
July 14 2 1 0
July 16 1 1 0
July 18 4 0 0
July 21 12 2 2
July 23 21 0 1
July 25 48 5 0
July 28 62 0 1
July 30 - - -
August 1 105 3 0
August 4 45 24 4
August 6 68 26 4
August 8 35 2 0
August 11 35 2 1
August 13 15 0 0
August 15 17 0 0
August 18 18 4 0
August 20 16 3 0
August 22 10 1 0
***********************************
BW = cotton bollworms; GSB = green
stink bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs
Trap location: approximately two miles east of Albertson
Cooperator: Justin Murphy
From: Arthur R. Bradley, Jr., Agricultural Extension Agent, Edgecombe County
***********************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
**********************************************
Coakley West Edgecombe Lawrence
************** ************** *************
Date CEW BS GS CEW BS GS CEW BS GS
***********************************************************
July 25 27 - 3 - - - - - -
July 28 35 - 9 - - - - - -
July 30 23 - 15 - - - - - -
August 1 47 - 7 - - - 2 - 10
August 4 68 - 19 45 - 3 10 - 0
August 6 23 - 12 28 - 4 20 - 6
August 8 49 - 0 30 - 5 8 - 1
***********************************************************
Abbreviations: CEW = corn earworms;
BS = brown stink bugs; GS = green stinks bugs
From: Paul Smith, Agricultural Extension Agent, Gates County
********************************
Bollworm Stink
Date moths bugs
********************************
August 7 34 0
August 8 - -
August 9 67 -
August 10 - -
August 11 63 0
August 12 17 0
August 13 21 0
August 14 11 0
August 15 7 0
August 16 6 0
August 17 4 0
August 18 14 0
August 19 3 0
********************************
From: Alan A. Harper, Lenoir County
June
******************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
****************************************************
Date HW CEW ECB AW AWC GSB BSB TBW
******************************************************************
June 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
June 2 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0
June 3 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0
June 4 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0
June 5 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0
June 6 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
June 7 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 0
June 8 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0
June 9 0 2 0 1 1 4 2 0
June 10 1 2 0 1 1 2 1 0
June 11 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 0
June 12 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
June 13 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0
June 14 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0
June 15 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0
June 16 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 1
June 17 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0
June 18 1 2 0 0 2 1 0 1
June 19 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
June 20 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0
June 21 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0
June 22 0 6 1 0 0 2 0 0
June 23 1 3 1 0 2 3 0 0
June 24 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0
June 25 0 4 2 0 3 0 1 0
June 26 1 1 0 0 4 1 0 0
June 27 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
June 28 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0
June 29 0 2 0 1 3 2 0 0
June 30 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
******************************************************************
July
******************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
****************************************************
Date HW CEW ECB AW AWC GSB BSB TBW
******************************************************************
July 1 0 4 0 2 5 0 0 1
July 2 1 1 1 0 3 0 0 0
July 3 0 1 2 0 7 0 0 0
July 4 3 1 3 0 4 2 0 0
July 5 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
July 6 2 6 4 0 4 1 0 0
July 7 1 4 0 0 3 0 0 0
July 8 3 2 2 0 0 2 0 0
July 9 2 2 3 0 2 0 0 0
July 10 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
July 11 3 2 3 2 1 0 0 0
July 12 4 0 1 2 0 0 0 1
July 13 3 2 1 1 1 0 0 0
July 14 5 1 3 0 2 1 0 0
July 15 5 3 3 0 3 0 0 1
July 16 3 3 1 3 1 1 0 0
July 17 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
July 18 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 0
July 19 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
July 20 1 7 1 0 0 1 0 0
July 21 1 10 0 0 1 4 0 0
July 22 0 4 1 0 1 1 0 0
July 23 1 16 0 0 0 1 0 0
July 24 1 19 0 0 0 2 0 0
July 25 1 47 1 2 1 0 0 1
July 26 0 52 0 0 0 1 0 0
July 27 0 47 0 1 0 1 0 0
July 28 0 36 0 0 0 0 0 0
July 29 1 61 1 0 1 4 0 1
July 30 0 32 0 1 0 1 0 0
July 31 0 37 1 0 1 1 0 1
******************************************************************
August
******************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
****************************************************
Date HW CEW ECB AW AWC GSB BSB TBW
******************************************************************
August 1 0 41 0 0 0 1 0 0
August 2 0 55 1 1 0 4 0 3
August 3 0 26 0 0 0 3 0 0
August 4 0 46 1 0 1 1 0 0
August 5 0 66 2 0 0 2 0 1
August 6 0 71 0 0 0 4 0 2
August 7 0 51 0 0 2 10 0 0
August 8 1 28 1 0 2 3 0 1
August 9 1 30 1 0 1 3 0 0
August 10 0 28 2 0 0 4 0 0
August 11 1 4 2 0 0 4 0 0
August 12 0 8 1 0 0 0 0 0
August 13 0 8 1 0 0 0 0 0
August 14 1 6 0 0 2 0 0 0
August 15 0 8 0 0 0 2 0 0
August 16 1 18 1 0 4 4 0 0
August 17 3 18 2 1 3 2 0 0
August 18 2 16 1 0 0 0 0 0
August 19 1 19 0 0 0 2 0 0
August 20 2 18 1 0 2 1 0 0
August 21 0 28 1 0 1 0 0 0
August 22 2 16 2 0 2 0 0 0
******************************************************************
Abbreviations: HW = hornworms; CEW = corn earworms; ECB = European
corn borers; AW = true armyworms; AWC = armyworm complex; GSB =
green stink bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs; TBW = tobacco budworms
From: J. B. Coltrain, County Extension Director, Martin County
**************************************
Farm Life Robersonville
**************************************
Date BW GSB BW GSB
**************************************
July 14 4 0 4 1
July 16 2 0 4 0
July 18 2 0 2 0
July 21 4 0 2 2
July 23 4 0 2 0
July 25 6 5 6 0
July 28 11 1 8 1
July 30 13 6 9 1
August 1 20 3 6 0
August 4 17 7 9 0
August 6 14 1 12 3
August 8 18 3 18 1
August 11 20 1 23 0
August 13 8 0 11 0
August 15 5 0 16 0
August 18 4 0 6 0
August 20 3 2 9 2
August 22 3 1 - -
***************************************
BW = Bollworm moths; GSB = Green stink bugs
From: Charlie Tyson, Agricultural Extension Agent, Nash County
**************************** Date BW GSB BSB **************************** August 1 8 2 1 August 4 6 2 1 August 6 3 4 2 August 8 6 7 0 August 11 2 10 3 **************************** BW = Bollworms; GSB = Green stink bugs; BSB = Brown stink bugs Trap location: near Hickory Crossroads
From: Craig Ellison, Agricultural Extension Agent, Northampton County
*************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
*****************************************************
Woodland Conway Seaboard Gaston Jackson
********* ********* ********* ********* *********
Date CEW GR BR CEW GR BR CEW GR BR CEW GR BR CEW GR BR
*************************************************************
July 25 1 0 0 - - - - - - - - - 2 1 0
July 28 0 5 0 - - - 8 0 0 - - - 13 21 3
July 30 1 3 0 - - - 14 4 2 - - - 21 23 0
Aug. 1 2 3 0 - - - 8 1 0 - - - 58 11 0
Aug. 4 1 1 0 - - - 17 0 0 - - - 76 11 0
Aug. 6 0 3 0 - - - 21 0 0 - - - 76 17 1
Aug. 8 5 3 0 12 0 0 28 1 0 - - - 165 9 1
Aug. 10 4 4 0 10 0 0 38 0 0 - - - 88 0 0
Aug. 13 5 1 0 5 1 0 18 0 0 - - - 44 0 0
Aug. 15 2 0 0 4 0 0 36 0 0 - - - 55 0 0
Aug. 17 3 0 0 7 0 0 16 0 0 - - - 60 0 0
Aug. 20 2 0 0 9 0 0 25 0 0 - - - 36 2 0
Aug. 22 2 0 0 2 0 0 12 0 0 - - - 29 0 0
*************************************************************
CEW = corn earworms; GR = green stink bugs; BR = brown stink bugs
Locations: Woodland, Conway, Seaboard, Gaston and Jackson
Monitored by: L. Culpepper, K. Edwards, T. Flythe,
D. Grant and B. Bryant
From: Tray Bridgers, Agricultural Extension Agent, Sampson County
******************************************
Number of Adult Insects
***************************
Date BW GSB BSB THW
******************************************
July 25 34 4 - -
July 28 117 3 - 3
July 30 102 8 - -
August 1 65 4 - 1
August 4 154 11 - 6
August 6 71 7 - 5
August 8 - - - -
August 11 - - - -
August 14 45 1 - 5
August 15 5 2 - 1
August 19 75 5 - 19
******************************************
BW = cotton bollworms; GSB = green stink bugs;
BSB = brown stink bugs; THW = tobacco hornworms
Black trap located 6 miles south of Clinton on
US-701S on the farm of Mike and James Hope.
From: David E. Morrison, Agricultural Extension Agent, Scotland County
***********************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
*************************************************************
Gibson John’s Laurinburg
****************** ***************** *****************
Date BW GSB BSB FAW BW GSB BSB FAW BW GSB BSB FAW
***********************************************************************
July 16 - - - - 46 - 1 - 32 1 - -
July 18 - - - - 24 2 - - 36 1 - -
July 21 45 4 - - 121 4 - - 140 1 - -
July 23 101 4 1 - 172 4 1 - 309 5 - -
July 25 112 - - - 217 2 - - 362 4 - -
July 28 238 5 - - 517 4 - - 405 12 - -
July 30 184 7 - - 390 4 1 - 386 10 - -
Aug. 1 134 4 - - 182 1 - - 362 4 - -
Aug. 4 54 4 - - 85 9 2 - 220 2 - -
Aug. 6 74 4 1 - 197 3 1 - 226 4 - -
Aug. 8 70 - - - 185 2 - - 129 2 - -
Aug. 11 81 1 - - 109 - 1 - 165 0 - -
Aug. 13 99 - - - 38 - - - 34 - - -
Aug. 15 37 - - - 36 - - - 30 - - -
Aug. 17 - - - - - - - - 130 - - -
***********************************************************************
BW = bollworm moth; GSB = green stink bugs;
BSB = brown stink bugs; FAW = fall armyworms
From: Kevin Johnson, Agricultural Extension Agent, Wayne County
**********************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
***********************************************
Seven Springs Goldsboro
********************** *********************
Date GSB BSB CEW HW GSB BSB CEW HW
**********************************************************
July 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
July 11 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
July 14 0 4 0 2 4 2 2 0
July 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
July 18 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
July 21 0 0 0 0 17 4 0 0
July 23 2 0 1 9 4 0 4 1
July 25 0 0 0 0 1 1 22 1
July 28 10 0 10 30 17 1 119 2
July 30 3 1 11 23 2 9 116 3
August 1 1 0 10 11 12 5 83 3
August 4 0 0 0 0 50 15 135 1
August 6 3 3 22 23 14 16 51 1
August 11 5 0 27 30 1 1 27 3
August 13 0 0 0 0 3 1 19 4
August 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 0
August 18 3 0 20 15 1 0 29 2
August 20 1 0 14 9 2 0 20 3
**********************************************************
GSB = green stink bugs; BSB = brown stink bugs;
CEW = corn earworms; HW = hornworms
Cooperators: D. M. Price (Seven Springs); Willie Howell (Goldsboro)
From: Norman E. Harrell, Agricultural Extension Agent, Wilson County
***************************************************************
Number of Adult Insects
***********************************************
Lucama Pender's Xrds Sims Fountain
******** ************* ******** ********
Date CEW GSB CEW GSB CEW GSB CEW GSB
***************************************************************
July 21 - - 5 0 - - 3 5
July 23 4 5 7 0 1 1 7 5
July 25 6 5 2 0 0 0 16 4
July 28 14 10 9 1 3 1 20 5
July 30 12 5 16 1 3 2 22 3
August 1 13 1 14 1 7 1 23 4
August 4 13 5 15 1 7 0 49 4
August 6 20 5 18 1 7 2 32 4
August 8 14 3 10 0 9 1 23 2
August 11 20 0 21 1 11 0 15 1
August 13 19 0 5 2 3 0 8 1
August 15 10 0 11 0 4 0 6 0
August 18 13 2 30 0 2 0 12 0
August 20 - - 12 0 4 0 8 3
August 22 21 7 8 0 1 0 3 0
***************************************************************
CEW = corn earworms; GSB = green stink bugs
Locations: Lucama, Pender's Crossroads, Sims and Fountain
Monitored by: Chris Bass, Adam Gardner, Thad Sharpe and Barbara Smith
Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Last modified on August 25, 2008 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.