Ladybird beetles (Aug 16, 2018; Wk 15)

Reminder - While scouting, you may encounter these fascinating organisms.....

Figure 1. Ladybird beetle larva (photo credit: AAFC-Beaverlodge)

Figure 2. Ladybird beetle pupa (Left) and larva (Right) (photo credit: AAFC-Beaverlodge)

Figure 3. Ladybird beetle pupa (photo credit: AAFC-Beaverlodge)

Figure 4. Ladybird beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) (photo credit: AAFC-Beaverlodge)

Figure 5. Aphids nestled on wheat head (photo credit: AAFC-Beaverlodge)

Figure 6. An aphid "mummy" adhered to a wheat awn.  Mummy is the aphid host converted to
enclose a soon-to-emerge parasitoid wasp (photo credit: AAFC-Beaverlodge)

Ladybird beetle larvae (Fig. 1-2), pupae (Fig. 2-3), and adults (Fig. 4) can all be found in fields at this time of year.  Take a look at the various stages and the many patterns of native and introduced species to recognize these as Field Heroes!  Ladybird beetles are categorized as general predators and will feed on several species of arthropods but are partial to aphids (Fig. 5).  

Harvest Sample Program (Aug 16, 2018; Wk 15)

The Canadian Grain Commission is ready and willing to grade grain samples harvested in 2018.  Samples are accepted up to November but send samples as soon a harvest is complete.

This is a FREE opportunity for growers to gain unofficial insight into the quality of their grain and to obtain valuable dockage information and details associated with damage or quality issues.  The data collected also helps Canada market its grain to the world!

More information on the Harvest Sample Program is available at the Canadian Grain Commission’s website where growers can register online to receive a kit to submit their grain.  

In exchange for your samples, the CGC assesses and provides the following unofficial results FOR FREE:

• dockage assessment on canola
• unofficial grade
• protein content on barley, beans, chick peas, lentils, oats, peas and wheat
• oil, protein and chlorophyll content for canola
• oil and protein content and iodine value for flaxseed
• oil and protein for mustard seed and soybean
• NEW for 2018-19: Participants will receive Falling Number and deoxynivalenol (DON) results for their wheat samples at no cost. This enhancement to the Harvest Sample Program is the first initiative to be funded by the Canadian Grain Commission’s accumulated surplus.

Many producers find having both grade and quality information on their samples before delivering their grain to be helpful.

Stored Product Pests (Aug 16, 2018; Wk 15)

The Canadian Grain Commission's website has an online key to stored product pests.  Growers managing grain storage can find an online identification tool for stored product pests (e.g., Rusty grain beetle, Red flour beetle, Confused flour beetle, Saw-toothed grain beetle, and more).  The online tool features excellent diagnostic photos.  A screen shot of the webpage is included below for reference.

Provincial Insect Pest Reports (Aug 16, 2018; Wk 15)

Provincial entomologists provide insect pest updates throughout the growing season so we link to their most recent information: 

Manitoba's Insect and Disease Updates for 2018 can be accessed here. Issue #11 (posted August 8, 2018) includes initial reports of very low levels of soybean aphids and reports of bertha armyworm in canola fields in western Manitoba yet few fields exceeding economic levels. Agronomists in southwest Manitoba reported "melting" bertha armyworm larvae-read more to learn how insect-specific viruses are at work in fields! Finally, a reminder that the annual grasshopper survey is underway in August.

Saskatchewan's Crop Production News for 2018 is posted with Issue #6 now available. This issue informs growers that Ministry staff will be in fields conducting surveys. A reminder to manage pre-harvest intervals plus read the article describing disease and insect culprits associated with white heads in cereals.

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's Call of the Land regularly includes insect pest updates from Scott Meers. The most recent Call of the Land (posted August 9, 2018) includes reports of the bertha armyworm in Birch Hills county, the expected appearance of red turnip beetles which feed, mate and lay eggs at this point in the growing season, relatively low numbers of diamondback moths but a reminder to scout in canola at early pod stages, and peculiar behaviours of parasitized ladybird beetles and grasshoppers.

Crop reports (Aug 16, 2018; Wk 15)

Crop reports are produced by:
• Manitoba Agriculture (August 13, 2018)
• Saskatchewan Agriculture (July 31-August 6, 2018)
• Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Crop Report (August 7, 2018)

The following crop reports are also available:
• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) produces a Crop Progress Report (view the August 13, 2018 edition).

• The USDA's Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin (view the August 7, 2018 edition). 

Previous Posts (Aug 16, 2018; Wk 15)

The following is a list of 2018 Posts - click to review:

Abundant parasitoids in canola - Week 10 
Alfalfa weevil - Week 6
Aphid App - Week 12

Cabbage seedpod weevil - Week 12 
Cabbage root maggot - Week 11 
Cereal aphid manager (CAM) - Week 2
Cereal leaf beetle - Week 13
Cereal leaf beetle larvae request - Week 8
Crop protection guides - Week 2
Cutworms - Week 4

Diamondback moth - Week 7
Download the field guide - Week 10

Field heroes - Week 8
Flea beetles - Week 4

Grasshopper simulation model output - Week 13

Monarch migration - Week 8

Pea leaf weevil - Week 13

PMRA Pesticide Label Mobile App - Week 4

Scouting charts (canola and flax) - Week 3

Ticks and Lyme Disease - Week 4

Weather synopsis - Week 13
Weather radar - Week 3
West nile virus risk - Week 13
Wheat midge - Week 12

White grubs in fields - Week 8

Wind trajectories - Week 6
Wireworm distribution maps - Week 6

Insect of the Week (Aug 13, 2018) - Twospotted spider mite (Acarina: Tetranychus)

This week's Insect of the Week is the twospotted spider mite. This tiny mite is 0.5 mm long and has eight legs. It has a greenish, yellowish to orange oval body with two dark spots on its abdomen. To the unaided eye, it looks like a small speck. they feed on corn, soybean, dry beans, alfalfa, vegetables and fruit.

These mites overwinter in protected sites as eggs, immatures or adults depending on food hosts and habitat. Immatures and adults move to emerging plant hosts in the spring. They create webbing on the underside of leaves where they puncture cells to feed on cell contents. This feeding causes stippling, yellowing or browning of the leaves. Leaves may dry and drop which can further reduce crop yields.
Infestations start at the field edge and move inwards. Extended hot, dry conditions favour rapid population build up and exacerbate feeding injury.

For more information on the twospotted spider mite, check out our Insect of the Week page!

Twospotted spider mite – adult closeup

David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org

Twospotted spider mite - stippling damage on bean
Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Insect of the Week (Aug 07, 2018) - Natural Enemies of the wheat stem sawfly

This week's Insects of the Week are the natural enemies (@FieldHeroes) of the wheat stem sawfly, namely Bracon cephi (Gahan) and B. lissogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Nine species of parasitic wasps are known to attack wheat stem sawfly but Bracon cephi and B. lissogaster are the main species that help regulate this pest in North America.  These closely related wasp species are described as idiobiont ectoparasitoids meaning the parasitoid larva, after hatching from an egg laid on the surface of the sawfly larva, feeds on the exterior of the host. Normally, both Bracon species will complete their development (i.e., pupates) inside the wheat stem within the integument of the sawfly larva or just beside the consumed host.  There are two generations of B. cephi and B. lissogaster per year.  The first generation normally completes its lifecycle then escapes from the wheat stem to locate a new sawfly larva to parasitize.  The second generation of these wasps will overwinter within the wheat stem.

These wasps are 2-15 mm long and are usually brown in colour. They have a narrow waist connecting the abdomen to the thorax and the combined length of head plus thorax is equal to the length of the abdomen.  These parastiod wasps have long antennae and two pairs of transparent wings. Females have a noticeable ovipositor protruding from the end of the abdomen.

For more information about the natural enemies of the wheat stem sawfly, check out our Insect of the Week page!

Bracon cephi (Gahan) (H. Goulet)

Extra Insect of the Week - English grain aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) has started to appear across the Prairies in various cereal crops this past week so the time to scout is now. Look for this aphid infesting wheat heads (favourite host) as well as barley, oat, rye, Timothy and canaryseed.  This aphid can also be a vector for barley yellow dwarf virus. You might see the green, red colour morph or both morphs in fields this year (Fig. 1). You will probably also see ladybeetle (@FieldHeroes) adults and larvae hunting the aphids (Fig. 2). The economic threshold for aphids in spring wheat in Western Canada is 12-15 aphids per head prior to the soft dough stage. 

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, with funding from the Pest Management Centre, has developed a smartphone app called Cereal Aphid Manager (CAM) to facilitate scouting for aphids in cereals that also allows you to record the beneficial insects in the field that can keep aphid populations below the economic threshold – available at Apple iTunes and Google Play app stores. CAM information and download links.

For more information on the English grain aphid, check out our Insect of the Week page!

Submitted by Dr. Tyler Wist (Tyler.Wist@agr.gc.ca).

Fig. 1 Green and red morph English grain aphid
(Tyler Wist, AAFC)

Fig. 2 Seven-spotted lady bird larva hunting aphids
(Tyler Wist, AAFC)

Weekly Update (Aug 02, 2018; Wk 13) Otani, Weiss, Giffen,Vankosky, Svendsen, Olfert

Hello!

A technical glitch this week: The Blog failed to send subscribers the Weekly Update Wednesday morning!  Follow the links to the Posts for Week 13 (August 2, 2018):

• Weather synopsis
• Predicted grasshopper development
• Bertha armyworm
• Thrips
• Lygus in canola
• Cabbage seedpod weevil
• Ladybird beetles
• Cereal leaf beetle
• Pea leaf weevil
• Pre-Harvest Intervals
• Provincial Insect Pest Reports
• Crop reports
• West Nile Virus and Culex tarsalis
• Previous Posts

Access the complete Weekly Update either as a series of Posts for Week 13 (August 2, 2018) OR a downloadable PDF version.  Also review the "Insect of the Week" for Week 13!

Questions or problems accessing the contents of this Weekly Update?  Please e-mail either Dr. Meghan Vankosky or Jennifer Otani.  Past “Weekly Updates” can be accessed on our Weekly Update page.

Subscribe to the Blog by following these three steps!

Weekly Update (Aug 02, 2018; Wk 13) Otani, Weiss, Giffen,Vankosky, Svendsen, Olfert

Greetings!

In-field scouting remains critical as we move into August!  Access the complete Weekly Update either as a series of Posts for Week 13 (August 2, 2018) OR a downloadable PDF version.  Also review the "Insect of the Week" for Week 13!

Questions or problems accessing the contents of this Weekly Update?  Please e-mail either Dr. Meghan Vankosky or Jennifer Otani.  Past “Weekly Updates” can be accessed on our Weekly Update page.

Subscribe to the Blog by following these three steps!

Weather synopsis (Aug 02, 2018; Wk 13)

Weather synopsis – This past week (July 23 - 30, 2018) the average temperature (14.8 °C) was marginally cooler than long term average values (Fig. 1). The warmest weekly temperatures occurred across southern and central Alberta and eastern Manitoba. The 30-day (June 30 - July 30) average temperature (15.7 °C) was similar to the long term average (Fig. 2).  

Figure 1. Weekly (July 23 - 30, 2018) average temperature (°C).

Figure 2. The 30-day (June 30 – July 30, 2018) average temperature (°C).  

Weekly total precipitation was below average and 30-day total precipitation was marginally above average (Figs. 3 and 4).  The wettest region (30-day cumulative precipitation) was across eastern areas in Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba while central Saskatchewan and most of Alberta continue to be dry. Growing season precipitation is below average across large areas of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Average precipitation has been reported across the Peace River region, eastern Saskatchewan, and the Parkland region. 

Figure 3.  Weekly (July 23 - 30, 2018) cumulative precipitation (mm).

Figure 4. 30-day (June 30 – July 30, 2018) cumulative precipitation (mm).

The map below reflects the Highest Temperatures occurring over the past 7 days (July 24-30, 2018) across the prairies and is available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Fig. 4). 

Figure 4. Highest temperature across the Canadian prairies the past seven days (July 24-30, 2018). Image has not been reproduced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada and was retrieved (31Jul2018).  Access the full map at http://www.agr.gc.ca/DW-GS/current-actuelles.jspx?lang=eng&jsEnabled=true&reset=1529635048320).

The map below reflects the Highest Temperatures occurring over the past 7 days (July 24-30, 2018) across the prairies and is available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Fig. 5). 

Figure 5. Lowest temperature across the Canadian prairies the past seven days (July 24-30, 2018). Image has not been reproduced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada and was retrieved (31Jul2018).  Access the full map at http://www.agr.gc.ca/DW-GS/current-actuelles.jspx?lang=eng&jsEnabled=true&reset=1529635048320).

The growing degree day map (GDD) (Base 10ºC, March 1 – July 29, 2018) is below:

The growing degree day map (GDD) (Base 5ºC, March 1 – July 29, 2018) is below:

The maps above are all produced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.  Growers may wish to bookmark the AAFC Drought Watch Maps for the growing season.