Figure 1. Wheat midge cocoon sizes (L) compared to canola seed (R). |
After washing, each cocoon is carefully dissected under the microscope to determine if a parasitoid larva has attacked the wheat midge larval host. The densities of the cocoons, and the percent parasitism by the biological control agents (Macroglenes penetrans, Platygaster sp., Euxestonotus error), are compiled and used to generate the geospatial forecast map below.
The Albertan 2017 wheat midge forecast is posted below (Fig. 2) and you can review previous maps for that province further down the page. Be sure to review Alberta Agriculture & Forestry's full wheat midge forecast map posting and how they conduct their survey by linking here.
Figure 2. Alberta wheat midge forecast map for 2017. |
More information about Wheat midge can be found by accessing the pages from the new "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and Field Guide". View ONLY the Wheat midge pages but remember the guide is available as a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.