Insect Pest of the Week and the Entomologists that Study Them (June 22): Flax Pests / Feature entomologist: Boyd Mori

This week’s Insect of the Week feature crop is flax, a crop that thrives in cooler environments. Our feature entomologist this week is Boyd Mori.

Flax Seeds cc by 2.0 Tia Mont

Note: 

This year, we're doing things a bit differently for our Insect of the Week. Instead of focussing on a single insect (pest or natural enemy), we're looking at it from a crop perspective. Each week, we'll pick a crop and list the insects that attack it along with additional helpful information. The insect list is based on the information found in the Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and Management field guide. The field guide offers information describing lifecycle, damage description, monitoring/scouting strategies, economic thresholds (where available) and control options) for each economic pest.

In addition to an Insect of the Week, we'll also feature one of the entomologists that helps support the PPMN, either directly or indirectly.

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax

Click here to access TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts (with hyperlinks to the insect guide) intended to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies.

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax

Click here to access TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts (with hyperlinks to the insect guide) intended to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies.

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax

Reminder - Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Accurate identification of insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts (with hyperlinks) to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART



2. FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART




These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with scouting!

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Accurate identification of insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
 

2. FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
 

These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax (August 1, 2019; Wk 17)

Reminder - One last time for this growing season..... We have updated the field scouting charts so they now link to pages within the 2018 version of the Insect Field Guide. 

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

2. FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to insect pest species but they rely on in-field scouting!

Insect of the Week (June 10, 2019) – Doppelgangers: Bertha armyworm and clover cutworm

The case of the bertha armyworm and the clover cutworm (and other cutworm species)

Clover cutworm larva

cc-by 3.0 Lo Troisfontaine

Bertha armyworm – caterpillar 

Mike Dolinski, MikeDolinski@hotmail.com

Are those bertha armyworms (Mamestra configurata) eating your canola, mustard or alfalfa (also found on lamb’s-quarters, peas, flax, potato)? Or is it maybe a clover cutworm (Discestra trifolii)? [Note: not all cutworm species spend their larval stage underground.] The larvae of the two species are doppelgangers as they are similar in appearance, have a large overlap in host crops, and have similar timing (June-September). Telling them apart can be a challenge but here are few tips to focus on to help distinguish:

-         Colour: there are generally fewer velvety black clover cutworm caterpillars, with most of the clover cutworm larvae being green or pale brown

-          Lateral stripe:

o   On the clover cutworm it is yellowish-pink

o   On the bertha armyworm it is yellowish-orange

Climbing cutworm larva - from Cutworm Field Guide

Climbing cutworm adults - from Cutworm Field Guide

In terms of scouting, economic thresholds and control options, treat both species as you would bertha armyworms.

Bertha armyworm – adult

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development

Clover cutworm adult

cc-by-nc-sa 2.0 Ilona Loser

To learn more about bertha armyworms and clover cutworms, go to the Insect of theWeek page or download copies of the Field Crop and Forage Pests andtheir Natural Enemies in Western Canada and Cutworm Pests of Crops onthe Canadian Prairies identification field guides.

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax (May 16, 2019; Wk 06)

Reminder - We have updated the field scouting charts so they now link to pages within the 2018 version of the Insect Field Guide. 

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

2. FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax (May 2, 2019; Wk 04)

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Accurate identification of insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART


2. FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART


These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Previous Posts (Aug 02, 2018; Wk 13)

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

Abundant parasitoids in canola - Week 10 
Alfalfa weevil - Week 6

Cabbage seedpod weevil - Week 12 
Cabbage root maggot - Week 11 
Cereal aphid manager (CAM) - Week 2
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

Monarch migration - Week 8

PMRA Pesticide Label Mobile App - Week 4

Scouting charts (canola and flax) - Week 3

Ticks and Lyme Disease - Week 4

Weather radar - Week 3
Wheat midge - Week 12

White grubs in fields - Week 8

Wind trajectories - Week 6
Wireworm distribution maps - Week 6

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax (May 24, 2018; Wk 03)

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Accurate identification of insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

2. A NEW FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    
These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax (May 17, 2018; Wk 02)

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Accurate identification of insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

2. A NEW FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    
These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Insect of the Week (May 14, 2018) - Darksided cutworm

It's spring, so it's cutworm season. This week's insect is the darksided cutworm. Mature larvae are hairless, greyish with a prominent white stripe on either side just above their legs. It is a climbing cutworm with feeding occurring at night. They have a broad host range including cereals, canola, corn, flax, sunflower, vegetables berry and tree fruits.

Find out more about the darksided cutworm at the Insect of the Week page.  Other important species include dingy, army, redbacked and pale western cutworms (See Insect of the Week: 2017 - May 1, 8, 15 and 29).

Darksided cutworm
Photocredit John Gavloski, Manitoba Ministry of Agriculture

In addition, Cutworm Pests of Crops on the Canadian Prairies - Identification and Management Field Guide was recently published (2017). This new handy manual has chapters on general biology, history of outbreaks, scouting techniques, natural enemies and general control options. The meat of the manual is descriptions of 24 cutworm species, their lifecycle, hosts, damage, monitoring and economic thresholds. To download a copy, go to the Cutworm Field Guide page.

Scouting Charts - Canola and Flax (May 10, 2018; Wk 01)

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops. Accurate identification of insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

We offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

2. A NEW FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    
These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Weekly Update (May 18, 2017; Wk 03) - Scouting Charts (Canola and Flax)

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops.  However, the identification of these insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

For 2017, we offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    

2. A NEW FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    
These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!

Weekly Update (May 11, 2017; Wk 02) - Scouting Charts (Canola and Flax)

Field scouting is critical - it enables the identification of potential risks to crops.  Field crop production systems across the Canadian prairies will suffer insect pest outbreaks.  However, the identification of these insect pests PLUS the application of established monitoring methods will enable growers to make informed pest management decisions.

For 2017, we offer TWO generalized insect pest scouting charts to aid in-field scouting on the Canadian prairies:

1. CANOLA INSECT SCOUTING CHART
   

2. A NEW FLAX INSECT SCOUTING CHART
    
These charts feature hyperlinks directing growers to downloadable PDF pages within the "Field crop and forage pests and their natural enemies in western Canada: Identification and management field guide".

Growers can access biological information about the pest and its natural enemies, the type of damage it causes, how to monitor, and what pest management strategies might apply to help protect yield and quality (Fig. 1).

Whenever possible, monitor and compare pest densities to established economic or action thresholds to protect and preserve pollinators and beneficial arthropods. Economic thresholds, by definition, help growers avoid crop losses related to outbreaking insect pest species.

Good luck with your scouting!


Figure 1. Example of Bertha armyworm pages from the above field guide: