Aster leafhopper

This year the Victoria day long weekend came early (May 16-18, 2020), and so did two of our annual, migratory pests. While the PPMN tracks forward and backward trajectories of high air masses originating in the southern part of North America and arriving to points across the Canadian prairies, the provincial ministries of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba coordinate province-wide diamondback moth (DBM) trapping to detect the initial appearance of DBM.  Traps include a pheromone lure used to entice male DBM to a sticky death in order to monitor their arrival across the Canadian prairies.

Early arriving DBM can reproduce on volunteer cruciferous weeds then move to canola as that crop emerges and grows in the spring. This can lead to population increases through the growing season. In some areas of Canada, DBM can produce up to five generations before the winter cold brings an end to their populations.

Recently, AAFC scientists supported by WGRF, have been matching these wind trajectories with the arrivals of DBM and another migratory pest, the aster leafhopper.  The aster leafhopper spreads aster yellows disease, primarily to canola, and can have up to three generations in Canada. AAFC scientists have recently developed a rapid test to determine if an aster leafhopper is infected with aster yellows. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown prevented us from estimating the percentage of infected aster leafhoppers and gaining a better understanding of the risks of aster yellows transmission. Aster leafhoppers and DBM have migrated into Saskatchewan and might also be in Alberta and Manitoba.

Contact Dr. Chrystel Olivier and Dr. Tyler Wist to find out more about the above aster leafhopper  project.

Weekly Update (July 27, 2016; Wk 13) - Provincial Insect Pest Reports

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

- Manitoba's Insect and Disease Update which includes lygus in canola, wheat midge, and a few sites showing moderate risk levels for bertha armyworm based on phermone trap interceptions (July 27, 2016, prepared by John Gavloski and Pratisara Bajracharya).

- Saskatchewan's Crop Production News includes descriptions of aphids in field crops plus economic and action thresholds applicable in field peas, lentils, canaryseed, cereals or canola.  Aster yellows have also been observed this season.  Saskatchwan's surveys and forecasts are also highlighted in Issue 5, prepared by Scott Hartley.  Growers should note that the distribution of pea leaf weevil has increased this season in Saskatchewan plus the updated bertha armyworm pheromone map can be accessed in this report.

- Watch for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's Call of the Land for updates from Scott Meers  who recently provided an update (posted on July 21, 2016) and noted pea aphid risk in relation to pea and lentil seed maturity, froghoppers in ditches, leafminers in wheat, and reporting the occurrence of aphids in wheat in order to help researchers developing an action threshold.