Weekly Update links to the NEW website

Click each topic below to access the entire WEEKLY UPDATE (June 9, 2020 for Week 11) over at the NEW WEBSITE!

• Welcome to our new website!
• Weather synopsis
• Predicted wheat midge development
• Predicted grasshopper development
• Bertha armyworm monitoring
• Diamondback moth
• Pea leaf weevil
• Cereal aphid manager
• West nile virus risk
• Scouting charts for canola and flax
• Field heroes
• Provincial insect pest reports
• Crop reports
• Previous posts
• Insect of the Week: Forage grass pests / Dr. Chrystel Olivier
• AND CONGRATULATIONS to the Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network on their new Blog!

Bertha armyworm monitoring

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Model simulations for June 28, 2020, indicate that 26% of the population is in the pupal stage (compared to 69% last week), 52% in the adult stage (26% last week), and 20% are predicted to be eggs (5% last week).  Larvae are predicted to begin to occur (2%) this week. Across the Parkland and Peace River regions BAW populations are predicted to be transitioning from the pupal to adult stage (Fig. 1).  BAW adults should be showing up in traps.  Populations across southern regions are primarily in the egg stage (green region in Fig. 1).  Over the next 7-10 days larvae should begin to appear in this region.  

Development near Brandon (Fig. 2) is predicted to be ahead of fields near Saskatoon (Fig. 3).  First instar larvae are predicted to be occurring in southern Manitoba (Fig. 3). 

Figure 1. Predicted percent of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) population at adult stage as of June 28, 2020. 

Figure 2. Predicted bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) phenology at Saskatoon SK as of June 28, 2020.

Figure 3. Predicted bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) phenology at Brandon MB as of June 28, 2020.

Figure 4. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Weekly Pheromone-baited Trapping Results - Early season detection of bertha armyworm is improved through the use of pheromone-baited unitraps traps deployed in fields across the Canadian prairies.  Click each province to access moth reporting numbers observed in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as they become available. Check these sites to assess cumulative counts and relative risk in your geographic region.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images above (Fig. 4) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.  Review the 2019 Insect of the Week which featured bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm! 

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Bertha armyworm monitoring

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Model simulations as of June 21, 2020, indicate that 69 % of the population is in the pupal stage (Fig. 1), 26% in the adult stage (Fig. 2) and 5 % is predicted to be in the egg stage (Fig. 3).  Across the Parkland and Peace River regions, BAW populations are predicted to be predominantly in the pupal stage (Fig. 1).  Last week BAW adults were predicted to occur in isolated areas across the southern prairies (Fig. 2).  This week adults should be collected in BAW traps across south and central regions of the prairies.  Eggs may be occurring in southern regions (Fig. 3).  

Figure 1. Predicted percent of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) population at pupal stage as of June 21, 2020. 

Figure 2. Predicted percent of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) population at adult stage as of June 21, 2020. 

Figure 3. Predicted percent of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) population at egg stage as of June 21, 2020. 

The BAW model was run until June 30, 2020 to project developmental status. The simulations for Saskatoon (Fig. 4) and Brandon (Fig. 5) indicate that first occurrence of BAW larvae may begin later next week. 

Figure 4. Projected bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) phenology at Saskatoon SK as of June 30, 2020.

Figure 5. Projected bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) phenology at Brandon MB as of June 30, 2020.

Weekly Pheromone-baited Trapping Results - Early season detection of bertha armyworm is improved through the use of pheromone-baited unitraps traps deployed in fields across the Canadian prairies.  Click each province to access moth reporting numbers observed in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as they become available. Check these sites to assess cumulative counts and relative risk in your geographic region.

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 6) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.  Review the 2019 Insect of the Week which featured bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Figure 6. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Bertha armyworm monitoring

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Model simulations to June 14, 2020, indicate that pupal development is greater than 90% across most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  Pupal development is predicted to be slower across central and northern regions of Alberta.  First occurrence of BAW should be occurring in isolated regions across southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In fact, adult BAW were reported in Saskatoon by Dr. Julie Soroka on June 17, 2020.  By next week adults should be emerging across most of the prairies.  

Figure 1. Predicted bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) pupal development across
the Canadian prairies as of June 14, 2020. 

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 2) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.  Review the 2019 Insect of the Week which featured bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Figure 2. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Bertha armyworm monitoring

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Model simulations to June 7, 2020 indicate that BAW pupal development varies widely across the prairies (Fig. 1). Development is predicted to be greatest across the southern prairies. Depending on temperature, BAW adults can be expected to emerge in 5-10 days. 

As a reminder to cooperators monitoring BAW with pheromone traps, the traps should be placed in the field once pupal development in your region reaches 80% (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Predicted bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) pupal development across
the Canadian prairies as of June 7, 2020. 

Recap - We again include last week's Table 1 with the earlier predicted BAW emergence dates.

Table 1. The estimated date on which bertha armyworm pupae will have completed 80% of pupal development and when adult moths are expected to begin emerging at six locations across western Canada.

Over the next weeks, watch your provincial monitoring networks who will weekly compile cumulative pheromone-baited traps in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 3) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.  Review the 2019 Insect of the Week which featured bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Figure 3. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Bertha armyworm monitoring

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - This week, a pest alert related to the imminent emergence and flight of this season's moths was released.  Portions of that alert have been repeated below.

Based on weather conditions up to May 31, 2020, and model output, BAW adults may begin to emerge by mid June so traps in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan should be deployed in the next 7 to 10 days (Table 1; Fig. 1). Trap deployment in the Peace River region should occur approximately 10 days later (Table 1; Fig. 1).


Table 1. The estimated date on which bertha armyworm pupae will have completed 80% of pupal development and when adult moths are expected to begin emerging at six locations across western Canada.

Figure 1. Predicted bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) pupal development across the Canadian prairies projected to June 8, 2020. 

Over the next weeks, watch your provincial monitoring networks who will weekly compile cumulative pheromone-baited traps in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 3) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.  Review the 2019 Insect of the Week which featured bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Figure 3. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Pest Alert

Important for scouting this week - Click to access two updates related to in-field scouting released June 2!

• The predicted emergence of the first Bertha armyworm of 2020 across the Canadian prairies  (which helps time the deployment of pheromone traps).
• Predicted development of alfalfa weevil to help time in-field scouting for damaging larval stages of Alfalfa weevil.

Bertha armyworm monitoring (August 15, 2019; Wk 19)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Important - Watch for updates from your provincial monitoring networks who are compiling cumulative pheromone-baited trap interceptions to assess risk levels in Alberta, Saskatchewan (updated 07Aug2019), and Manitoba (locate table on pg 6).  Regions in all three prairie provinces are reporting "uncertain" risk based on pheromone-baited unitrap cumulative counts.  

SCOUT NOW to confirm in-field larval counts and REMEMBER that LARVAL DENSITIES CAN VARY DRAMATICALLY even between adjacent fields!  Scout to protect @FieldHeroes and avoid economic losses! Use the Field Heroes' scouting guide for bertha armyworm and be sure to read more at their website!

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 1) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.

Figure 1. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada).

Now is the time to do in-field scouting for this insect pest.  Review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Bertha armyworm monitoring (August 8, 2019; Wk 18)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Important - Watch for updates from your provincial monitoring networks who are compiling cumulative pheromone-baited trap interceptions to assess risk levels in Alberta, Saskatchewan (updated 31Jul2019), and Manitoba (locate table on pg 6).  regions in all three prairie provinces are reporting "uncertain" risk based on pheromone-baited unitrap cumulative counts.  

SCOUT NOW to confirm in-field larval counts and REMEMBER that LARVAL DENSITIES CAN VARY DRAMATICALLY even between adjacent fields!  Scout to protect @FieldHeroes and avoid economic losses! Use the Field Heroes' scouting guide for bertha armyworm and be sure to read more at their website!

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 1) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.

Figure 1. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada).

Now is the time to do in-field scouting for this insect pest.  Review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Bertha armyworm monitoring (August 1, 2019; Wk 17)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Predictive model updates are completed for the growing season but can be reviewed here (Wk 14).  

Important - Watch for updates from your provincial monitoring networks who are compiling cumulative pheromone-baited trap interceptions to assess risk levels in Alberta, Saskatchewan (updated 24Jul2019), and Manitoba (locate table on pg 6).  regions in all three prairie provinces are reporting "uncertain" risk based on pheromone-baited unitrap cumulative counts.  

This week - SCOUT NOW to confirm in-field larval counts and REMEMBER that LARVAL DENSITIES CAN VARY DRAMATICALLY even between adjacent fields!  Scout to protect @FieldHeroes and avoid economic losses! Use the Field Heroes' scouting guide for bertha armyworm and be sure to read more at their website!

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 1) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.

Figure 1. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada).

Now is the time to do in-field scouting for this insect pest.  Review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Bertha armyworm monitoring (July 25, 2019; Wk 16)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Predictive model updates are completed for the growing season but can be reviewed here (Wk 14).  

Important - Watch for updates from your provincial monitoring networks who are compiling cumulative pheromone-baited trap interceptions to assess risk levels in Alberta, Saskatchewan (updated 10Jul2019), and Manitoba (look on pg 8).

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 1) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.

Figure 1. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada).

Now is the time to do in-field scouting for this insect pest.  Review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Bertha armyworm monitoring (July 18, 2019; Wk 15)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Predictive model updates are completed for the growing season but can be reviewed here (Wk 14).  

Important - Watch for updates from your provincial monitoring networks who are compiling cumulative pheromone-baited trap interceptions to assess risk levels in Alberta, Saskatchewan (updated 10Jul2019), and Manitoba (look on pg 7).

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 3) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.

Figure 3. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Now is the time to do in-field scouting for this insect pest.  Review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Bertha armyworm monitoring (July 11, 2019; Wk 14)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Early instar bertha armyworm are predicted to begin appearing across the prairies.  A model run for Saskatoon SK indicates that the hatch should be complete (Fig.1) and that BAW should be in the early instar (Fig. 2).

Figure 1.  Predicted status of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) populations as of July 8, 2019.

Figure 2. Predicted percent of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata)  populations at LARVAL STAGE across the Canadian prairies as of July 8 2019. 

Important - Watch your provincial monitoring networks who are weekly recording cumulative pheromone-baited traps in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (pg 8).

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Refer to the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol for help when performing in-field scouting.  Use the images below (Fig. 3) to help identify egg masses and the economically important larvae in canola.

Figure 3. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Now is the time to do in-field scouting for this insect pest.  Review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!

Bertha armyworm monitoring (July 5, 2019; Wk 13)

Bertha armyworm (Lepidoptera: Mamestra configurata) - Last week (Fig. 1), bertha armyworm adults were emerging across the prairies and oviposition began across most of the southern prairie regions of SK, AB and MB.  That means it's time to start check the undersides of canola leaves for egg masses and newly hatched larvae!

Figure 1.  Predicted precent of bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata)  populations at EGG STAGE across the Canadian prairies as of June 24 2019. 

Here's where bertha armyworm moths were intercepted last year (Fig. 2) so areas previously highlighted in yellow, gold, orange or red should be on the lookout in 2019 for larvae.  Also watch your provincial monitoring networks who are weekly recording cumulative pheromone-baited traps in Alberta, Saskatchewan (table on Left of webpage), and Manitoba (pg 7).

Figure 2.  Cumulative moth counts from pheromone-baited unitraps deployed during the 2018 growing season.

Biological and monitoring information related to bertha armyworm in field crops is posted by the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network. Also refer to the bertha armyworm pages within the "Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and management field guide" which is a free downloadable document as both an English-enhanced or French-enhanced version.

Again, thanks to John Gavloski (Manitoba Agriculture) who helped update the PPMN Bertha armyworm monitoring protocol.  Use the images below (Fig. 3) to help identify moths from the by-catch that will be retained in phermone-baited unitraps.


Figure 3. Stages of bertha armyworm from egg (A), larva (B), pupa (C) to adult (D).
Photos: J. Williams (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Also be sure to review the Insect of the Week which features bertha armyworm and its doppelganger, the clover cutworm!