Plant Protection Update #15

Vegetable/Field Crops

Western Corn Rootworm - This beetle is a pest of any continuous corn field. This includes sweetcorn in backyard gardens. The damage would be apparent now as the corn plants start to wilt and fall over as the root damage reaches the maximum at this time in the growing season. Look for small (1/2") cream yellow worms with a brown head capsule feeding on and tunneling into the roots. Advise the grower to rotate crops and plant the corn in a different part of the garden next year.

Ornamentals

Locust Leafminer adults will start being active in the next few weeks as the second generation becomes active, See:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/locleafm.html

Hampton Roads report (Pete Schultz)

No Japanese beetles have been observed which is unusually late.

Fall webworms have hatched and the webs containing small larvae are noticeable.

Spider mites have been very active; current weather patterns are very suitable for their rapid increase.

Boxwood leaf miner larvae were noticed, with very small blisters on the new foliage. Systemic insecticides directed against the larvae would be most effective at this time.

Eric Day
Insect Identification Laboratory
Department of Entomology
308 Price Hall
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0319
(W) 540-231-4899
Fax 540-231-9131

idlab@vt.edu

See my lab homepage:

http://www.ento.vt.edu/Facilities/OnCampus/IDInfo.html