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Western Bean Cutworm Adults Trickling Into Ontario

Western bean cutworm moths have been trickling into the province at low levels. So far catches have been only 1 or 2 per trap at only a few locations. However, we do have new counties reporting catches that were not being monitored last year. Both Grey and Haldimand-Norfolk Counties have caught moths for the first time in Ontario, indicating that the moth is actually getting further into Ontario than previously thought (Figure 1).

Both Michigan and Ohio are seeing higher trap catches this week, with some locations already accumulating counts in the teens. And Michigan has found egg masses already in a sweet corn field in western Michigan (Oceanic County) were significant damage was found in some fields there in the last few years.

We will continue to monitor adults and will also be scouting for egg masses here in Ontario next week. If anything new is found, we will keep you informed via this newsletter, the www.bautebugblog.com and on the WBC trapping website at www.cornpest.ca.

Figure 1: Latest Ontario Western Bean Cutworm Trap Map. Note that moths have been found as far as Grey and Haldimand/Norfolk Counties.