Corn - Crop Protection

TO KEY
Cover photos: cornfield and

corn seedling by Duane Dailey,
parasitized armyworm by Lee
Jenkins
Published by MU Extension,
University of Missouri-Columbia
1998 University of Missouri
Printed with soy ink
Authors
Maureen ODay, Anastasia Becker, Armon Keaster, Laura Kabrick
College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
University of Missouri-Columbia
Kevin Steffey
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Reviewers
Michael Chippendale, Darren Hoffman, and Mary Jackson, University of Missouri-Columbia
Gregory Cronholm, Texas A&M University
Frank Davis, USDA-ARS, Mississippi State University
Judy Grundler, Missouri Department of Agriculture
Kenneth Ostlie, University of Minnesota
Marlin Rice, Iowa State University
Thomas J. Riley, Louisiana State University
John Shaw, University of Illinois
John Witkowski, University of Nebraska
Photographers
Wayne Bailey, Anastasia Becker, Duane Dailey, Jim Jarman, Lee Jenkins, Laura Kabrick, Armon
Keaster, Maureen ODay, David Pinkerton, and Mitchell Roof, University of Missouri-
Columbia
Brian Christine, Purdue University
Marlin Rice, Iowa State University
Thomas J. Riley, Louisiana State University
The authors extend a special thanks to the University of Missouri Entomology Department for
allowing extensive use of the Lee Jenkins Memorial Slide Collection and to Marlin Rice of Iowa
State University for the use of his photographs. A number of photographs originated from slide
sets distributed as regional resources from earlier Cooperative Extension entomology projects.
The authors attempted to identify, contact, and credit all photographers or institutions.
Production
Dale Langford, editor; Anastasia Becker, layout; Garry Brix, illustrator; Joe Vale, designer
Extension and Agricultural Information, University of Missouri-Columbia
On the World Wide Web
Updates to this publication will be posted on the World Wide Web at:
http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/manuals/m00166.htm
Additional copies
Additional copies of this publication may be purchased from the following distribution centers:
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University of Missouri-Columbia University of Illinois
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Phone: 1-800-292-0969 Phone: 1-800-345-6087
Development and initial distribution of this publication to extension specialists in the North
Central Region were funded in part by the USDA Integrated Pest Management Grants
Program for the North Central Region. Additional support was provided by Farmland
Industries Inc., MFA Inc., and the MU Crop Injury Diagnostic Clinic.
3
Introduction
Insectsoutnumberhumanbeingsby200millionto1.Theymakeupsome40million
species,ofwhichentomologistshavestudiedandclassiedabout1million.Yetdespite
theseoverwhelmingnumbers,onlyabout10,000speciesofinsectscauseproblemsinfood
andberproductionoraffectthewell-beingofmankindanddomesticanimals.Fewer
than100speciescausemostofthepestdamagetocornproductionintheUnitedStates.
Thisguidefocusesonabout20ofthemostimportantinsectpestsaffectingcornproduc-
tioninthenorth-centralstatesandismeanttobeusedintheeld,wherepreventiveand
correctiveactioncanbetaken.
Thedifcultyofidentifyingandmanaginginsectpestsinthecorneldstemsfromthe
diversityoftheinsectsthemselvesandthecomplexinteractionofconditionsthataffect
theirmovementandgrowth.Someinsectsareactiveonlyatnightormaysimplybedif-
culttondintheeld.Certaininsectpestsareabundantalmosteveryyearandtendtobe
chronicproblems.Otherpestsaresporadicandoccuronlyevery5to10yearsinnumbers
greatenoughtoreacheconomicthresholds.Someofthemostimportantcornpests,
includingblackcutworm,fallarmywormandcornearworm,aremigratory;others,such
asEuropeancornborer,overwinterintheeld.Forthemigratorypestsespecially,ittakes
almostperfecttimingtomakeasuccessfulinfestation.Weathereventsmustfavorthe
movementofmigratinginsectsintocorn-producingregions;cornorothersuitablehost
plantsmustbeavailableandinthepreferredgrowthstagewhentheinsectsarrive;local
weatherconditionsmustalsobefavorablefortheinsectstosurviveandreproduce.
Researchbothinthelaboratoryandintheeldhasprovidedimportantinformation
aboutmanypestspeciesandhasledtodevelopmentofeconomicthresholdsandmanage-
mentstrategies.However,methodsforpredictinginsectpestoutbreaksarebynomeans
perfect.Therststepintheeffectivemanagementofcorninsectsisaccurateandtimely
identicationofthepest.Hencethisguide.
Wedevelopedtheguidewithanawarenessthatsometimesthesymptomsofcrop
injuryareobvious,buttheinsectpestsarenot.Consequently,itisbasednotoninsecttax-
onomybutondiagnosisofinsectinjurytocorn.Diagnosticaidsincludedamagesymp-
tomsexpressedatfourprogressivegrowthstagesofthecornplant:fromplantingtofull
emergence,fromemergencetoknee-high,fromknee-hightotasseling,andfromtassel-
ingtomaturity.Althoughtheguidefocusesprimarilyondiagnosisofcropinjury,it
includescondensedinsectproles,drawinguponphotosanddescriptions.Italso
describeswhicheldsaremostlikelytosustaininjuryanddiscusseselddistributionof
pests,economicthresholds(ifestablished),andmanagementoptions.
Thereisagrowingneedforhighlytrainedelddiagnosticiansandadvisersinpest
management,especiallywiththeintroductionofnewproductiontechnologiessuchas
precisionagricultureandtransgenichybrids.WeanticipatethatCorn Insect Pests: A
Diagnostic Guide willserveasausefultoolforthoseindividualswithagronomicback-
groundswhoarerequiredtotroubleshootinsectpestproblemsincorn:extensionagrono-
mists,cropconsultantsandscouts,andagriculturalinputdealersandapplicators.
However,ourmostsinceredesireisthatthisdiagnosticguidewillbeofgreatestultimate
benettotheproducerswhoplantandharvestcornoneofthisnationsmostimpor-
tantcrops.
ArmonJ.Keaster
UniversityofMissouri-Columbia
4
CORN INSECT PESTS: A DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
Seedcorn maggot
Seedcorn beetles
Wireworms
White grubs
Corn flea beetle
Billbugs
Thrips
Grape colaspis
Black cutworm
Sod webworm
Southern corn leaf beetle
Chinch bug
Armyworm
Stalk borer
Grasshoppers
European corn borer (1st gen.)
*Southwestern corn borer (1st gen.)
Corn rootworms
Fall armyworm
Corn earworm
Corn leaf aphid
European corn borer (2nd/3rd gen.)
*Southwestern corn borer (2nd/3rd gen.)
larvae
adults
larvae
adults
APR MAY J UN J UL AUG SEP
The most injurious insects in corn are listed in boldface type.
* Southwestern corn borer is an economic pest primarily in southeastern
Missouri and the southern quarter of Illinois.
This time line is estimated for central Missouri
and south-central Illinois. Adjust time line as
shown for other regions.
Use time line
7-10 days
5-7 days
5-10 days
T i m e li n e fo r co rn i n se cts i n ce n tra l M i sso u ri
a n d so u th -ce n tra l I lli n o i s
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D i a g n o sti c k e y
This diagnostic key divides corn growth stages into four periods. To use the key, nd the
Planting to V2
appropriate growth stage and locate the symptoms you are observing in the eld; additional
choices can be found under some symptoms. Page numbers will direct you to photos and VE to V8
detailed information about each symptom and the insects that most likely cause it.
Pictures representing each growth stage (right) have been used throughout this guide and
V8 to VT
on the time line. For reference, corn growth stages are dened on the inside back cover,
VT to R6
where you will also nd a pest index and a short glossary.
C o rn p la n ti n g to fu ll e m e rg e n ce u p to V 2 )
G a p s o r sk i p s i n th e ro w
S e e d li n g s p u lle d u p a n d e a te n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p a g e 7
Birds
Rodents
S e e d s b o re d i n to o r h o llo w e d o u t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Seedcorn maggot
Seedcorn beetles
Wireworms
E m e rg e n ce to k n e e -h i g h co rn V E to V 8 )
S tu n ti n g o r w i lti n g
S tu n ti n g o r w i lti n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 , 1 2
Wireworms Grape colaspis larva
White grubs Chinch bug
D e a d h e a rt ce n te r le a v e s a re d y i n g o r d e a d ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2
Wireworms
Black cutworm
Stalk borer
U n n a tu ra l g ro w th ste m tw i sti n g o r e x ce ssi v e ti lle ri n g ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
Stalk borer
Billbugs
Stink bugs
S p e ck le d o r sa n d b la ste d le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Thrips
R e m o v a l o f p la n t ti ssu e
I rre g u la r n a rro w li n e s o r tra ck s scra tch e d fro m to p la y e r o f ti ssu e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0
Corn ea beetle
Wh o le p la n ts cu t o ff n e a r b a se . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0
Black cutworm (less commonly, claybacked cutworm)
Sod webworm
C h u n k s o f le a f ti ssu e o r e n ti re le a v e s e a te n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 , 2 4
Cutworms Southern corn leaf beetle
Sod webworm Stalk borer
Leafrollers Armyworm
S m a ll, sy m m e tri ca l, ro u n d e d h o le s i n le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4
Billbugs
L a cy , sk e le to n i ze d le a v e s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4
Southern corn rootworm beetle
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K n e e -h i g h to ta sse li n g co rn V 8 to V T )
L e a f ti ssu e re m o v e d
C h u n k s o f p la n t ti ssu e re m o v e d fro m le a f m a rg i n s,
o r ra g g e d h o le s i n le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p a g e 2 8
Stalk borer Grasshoppers
Armyworm Corn earworm
Fall armyworm
S m a ll, ci rcu la r h o le s o r e lo n g a te d le si o n s i n le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9
European corn borer
Southwestern corn borer
S ta lk s m a lfo rm e d : L o d g i n g o r g ro w i n g u p w a rd i n a g o o se n e ck sh a p e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8
Corn rootworm larvae
H o le s b o re d i n sta lk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8
Stalk borer
European corn borer
T a sse li n g to co rn m a tu ri ty V T to R 6 )
C h u n k s o f p la n t ti ssu e re m o v e d fro m le a f m a rg i n s,
o r ra g g e d h o le s i n le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2
Armyworm
Fall armyworm
Grasshoppers
S m a ll, ci rcu la r h o le s o r e lo n g a te d le si o n s i n le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
European corn borer
Corn rootworm beetle (esp. western)
S ta lk s m a lfo rm e d o r b ro k e n
L o d g i n g o r g ro w i n g u p w a rd i n a g o o se n e ck sh a p e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
Corn rootworm larvae
S ta lk s b ro k e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
European corn borer
T a sse ls d a m a g e d
T a sse ls b ro k e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
European corn borer
T a sse ls e a te n i n w h o rl) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
Fall armyworm
T a sse ls d i sco lo re d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
Corn leaf aphid
S i lk s cli p p e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5
Grasshoppers Japanese beetle
Corn rootworm adults Yellow woollybear
Corn earworm
E a r d a m a g e
L a rg e ch u n k s o f k e rn e ls re m o v e d , o fte n a t b li ste r a n d m i lk sta g e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7
Grasshoppers
T u n n e li n g o r ch e w i n g d a m a g e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7
Fall armyworm
European corn borer
Corn earworm
E a r d ro p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7
European corn borer
7
Corn planting to full emergence
(up to V2)
OVERVIEW
F ro m p la n ti n g to e m e rg e n ce , lo o k fo r:
G a p s o r sk i p s i n th e ro w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p a g e 7
seedlings pulled up and eaten
seeds bored into or completely hollowed out
SYMPTOMS
G a p s o r sk i p s i n th e ro w
S e e d li n g s p u lle d u p a n d e a te n
When gaps or skips are found in a row of emerging corn
seedlings, rst rule out planter malfunction, pesticide misapplication,
and seedling diseases. Check to see if seedlings have been pulled
up and eaten by birds or rodents. Birds (often red-winged black-
birds, or geese if near a waterway) leave clues in the rows such as
beak marks, tracks, or droppings. Rodents frequently leave a small
mound of soil to one side of the row where the seed or seedling
was dug up.
S e e d s b o re d i n to o r h o llo w e d o u t
Dig up ungerminated seed to pinpoint the cause of poor emer-
gence. If seeds are bored into or completely hollowed out, check
for the following three insect pests:
Seedcorn maggot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8
Seedcorn beetles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Wireworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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Gaps in the stand. Examine eld for clues
such as patterns of damage or nonemer-
gence. Dig up seeds or damaged seedlings
to assess cause of injury.
Seedlings uprooted by birds. Birds leave
clues such as beak marks along the row.
Rodents may leave small mounds of soil.
8
Seedcorn maggot consuming interior of
corn kernel. This pest may be most prob-
lematic in early-planted elds high in
organic matter.
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Seedcorn Maggot
Appearance / Life cycle
Seedcornmaggotstapertowardthefrontendandare
1
4 inchlong,
yellow-white,leglessandapparentlyheadless.Maggotsburrowintothe
seed,andseedseitherfailtogerminateorproduceweakseedlings.The
adultsare
1
4 inchlong,gray-brownincolor,andresemblesmallhouseies.
Themaggotlifecyclerequires3weeksattemperaturesabove50degreesF.
Althoughtherearethreetovegenerationseachyear,latergenerationsare
oflittleeconomicimportance.
Management
Theegg-layingadults(ies)areattractedtomoistsoilshighinorganic
matterordecayingresidues.Insecticideseedtreatmentsshouldbeconsid-
eredforearly-plantedcorneldsinwhichalargeamountofmanureor
springvegetationhasbeenrecentlyincorporated.Damagecanbemore
severewhencool,wetspringweatherdelaysseedlingemergence.Norescue
treatmentexists.Ifspotreplanting,useaseedtreatmentifthesoiltempera-
tureisexpectedtoremaincool.
Fields most likely to sustain injury
Early-plantedeldshighinorganicmatterorcropresiduearethemost
vulnerable,especiallyduringprolongedperiodsofcool,wetweather.
Distribution
Standreductionduetoseedcornmaggotisusuallymoreuniformthan
thespottydamagetypicalofwireworms.
Incidence
AprilandMay
Seedcorn Beetles
Twotypesofseedcornbeetlescausethesameinjurysymptomsandare
bothabout
1
3 inchlong. Theseedcornbeetleisdarkbrownwithtwodarker
stripesonthewingcovers;theslenderseedcornbeetleisreddishbrownin
colorandslightlymoreelongatedandnarrow.Thesebeetlesareoppor-
tunisticfeedersandwillattackgerminatingcornwheninsectpreyisinshort
supply.Seedcornbeetlesscurryacrossthesoilsurfaceandarerarelyfound
onplants.
Slender seedcorn beetle (top) and seedcorn
Management
beetle (bottom). Both beetles are about
1
3
inch long.
Norescuetreatmentexists.Ifspotreplanting,useaseedtreatmentcon-
taininganinsecticideifthesoiltemperatureisexpectedtoremaincool.
No-tilleldsinareaswheretheseedfurrowisnotcompletelyclosedare
9
CORN PLANTING TO FULL EMERGENCE (UP TO V2)
susceptibletoseedcornbeetledamage.Thepotentialforinjuryishigher
whencool,wetspringweatherdelaysseedlingemergence.
Confusing look-alikes
Manyspeciesofbenecialgroundbeetlesresembleseedcornbeetlesin
shapeandcolorbutaregenerallylarger.
Incidence
AprilandMay
Wireworms
Wireworm larvae feed primarily on germinating seeds and roots and may spend
3 to 6 years in the soil.
Wirewormsareinsectlarvaethatbecomesmalltomedium-sizedbeetles.
Adultwireworms,whenplacedontheirbacks,canipthemselvesupright
withanaudibleclickandareknownasclickbeetles.Becauseoftheirlong
Wireworm adult
lifecycles,arangeoflarvalagesandsizescanbefoundinaninfestedeld.
or click beetle.
Larvaearesegmented,shinyandwirelike,yellowtoreddishbrown,and
from
1
2 to1
1
2 incheslong. Wirewormsareattractedtothecarbondioxide
fromgerminatingseedsandareactiveintherootzone(upper2to6inches)
whenthesoiltemperatureisfrom55to75degreesF.Astheseasonpro-
gressesandthesoilbecomeshotanddry,wirewormsmigratedownwardin
thesoilsothatitmaybedifculttondthemduringadrysummer,evenin
heavilyinfestedcornelds.
Damage
Gapsinthestandornonuniformgrowthmayresultfromwireworms
tunnelingintogerminatingseeds.However,wirewormscanalsoweakenor
killemergedseedlingsby
Feedingontenderyoungroots
Boringintothebaseofcornplantsbelowground
Drillingupwardintostalksoflargercornplants
Injuredseedlingsoftenarestuntedandwiltasdriersoilconditions
develop;leavesaresometimestingedwithblueorpurpleatthetips.Severe
wiltingcanbeexpressedasdeadheart,inwhichthecenterleavesofa
plantaredying.Deadheartiscausedbydamagetothegrowingpointand
maybeaccompaniedbystuntingandexcessivetillering.
MostofthedamagetocorninMissouriandIllinoisiscausedbyspecies
ofwirewormsbelongingtothegenusMelanotus.
Management
Nopostemergencetreatmentisavailable,somanagementstrategiesmust
beimplementedatplantingorbefore.Theneedforcontrolisbasedon
eldhistoryortheresultsfromwirewormsolarbaitstations.Thesolar-
baitingtechniquemakesitpossibletoestimatebeforeplantingwhethera
wirewormpopulationwillbeeconomicallydamaging.Twotothreeweeks
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Wireworm (above), the damaging stage.
Wireworms feed on seeds and young roots
(below); they also bore into the base of corn
below ground.
10
Although plants typically survive this dam- mixtureofequalpartsuntreated
age, they may be stunted. cornandwheatatthebottomof
thestation. Moundasoil
domeoverthecoveredbaitto
serveasasolarcollectorandpre-
Cross section of a solar bait station for
ventstandingwater.Coverwith
detecting presence of wireworms.
an18-inch-squaresheetofblack
plastictoppedwitha1-yard-squaresheetofclearplastic,andcoveredges
beforetheanticipatedplanting
date,establish5to10baitsta-
tionspereld(moreiftheeldis
largerthan30acres).Anygrassy
spotsintheeldandanyareas
wherewirewormscausedinjury
lastseasonshouldbebaited. Dig
eachbaitstation2to3inches
deepand6to9incheswideat
thesoilsurface.Bury
1
2 cupofa
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Wireworm drilling in older corn plants.
withsoiltoholdtheplasticsheetsdown. Afewdaysbeforeplanting,digup
andsiftthroughthesoilandgerminatedgraintodeterminethenumberof
wirewormlarvaefoundwithineachstation.Theeconomicthresholdisan
averageofonewirewormperbaitstationwithinthebaitedeld.
Managementoptionsifyoundwirewormsinthebaitstations:
Seedtreatmentcontaininginsecticide(ifwirewormsarepresentbut
averagelessthantheeconomicthreshold).Seedtreatmentprotects
onlytheseedandwillnotprotecttheseedlingfollowinggermination.
Solar bait station installed in eld. Survey
Applicationofbandedorin-furrowinsecticideatplantingtime(ifbait
ags help mark the spot for inspection
trapnumbersaverageoneormorewirewormspertrap).
before planting.
Femaleclickbeetleslayeggsmostlyneartherootsofgrasses.Therefore,
wireworminjuryislikelytobemostsevereinrst-andsecond-yearcorn
followinglong-standingmeadows,pastures,andsmallgrains.Cornelds
withchronicinfestationsthatareleftuncontrolledforseveralyearsmayalso
sufferheavydamage.Porous,well-drainedloamsoilsaremorelikelytobe
infestedwithwirewormsthanareheavyclaysoils.
Distribution
Wirewormpopulationsarenotuniformlydistributed,soinfestations
oftenappearinhotspotswithintheeld.Stunted,wilted,ordeadcorn
plantsmaybefoundnexttohealthyplants.
Groundbeetlelarvaeareaboutthesameshapeandsizeassome
speciesofwireworms,buttheyhavetwolarge,curvedjawsandtwosoft
projectionsonthetailend.
Incidence
WirewormlarvaearefoundfromAprilthroughearlyJune;adultclick
beetlesarefoundfrommid-MaythroughJune.
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E m e rg e n ce to k n e e -h i g h co rn
V E to V 8 )
OVERVIEW
F ro m e m e rg e n ce to th e k n e e -h i g h sta g e , lo o k fo r:
S tu n ti n g o r w i lti n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p a g e s 1 1 , 1 2
stunting
overall wilting
dead heart
U n n a tu ra l g ro w th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
stem twisting or excessive tillering
S p e ck le d o r sa n d b la ste d le a v e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
leaves with speckled appearance
R e m o v a l o f p la n t ti ssu e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
irregular narrow tracks
plants cut off near base
chunks of leaves eaten
small rounded holes in leaves
lacy skeletonized leaves
SYMPTOMS
S tu n ti n g o r w i lti n g
S tu n ti n g o f co rn p la n ts, so m e ti m e s w i th th e le a f ti p s ti n g e d b lu e
o r p u rp le , can be the result of root pruning by several insects.
O v e ra ll w i lti n g of corn plants can sometimes be observed in con-
junction with stunting.
Often an affected plant will be only inches from a healthy and
vigorous plant. This patchy, hot spot distribution can help distin-
guish insect damage from agronomic stresses such as herbicide
injury, phosphorus deciency, or compaction. Dig up and check for
root pruning, and examine the soil around the root mass for these
possible culprits:
Wireworms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9
White grubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Grape colaspis larva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
(More stunting or wilting symptoms on page 12)
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Stunted corn plant next to a healthy one
(above). Patchy distribution of wilted
plants (below) is often a clue that the cause
is insect feeding.
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Wilted corn plants next to ripening grain
eld. Check wilted plants near their base
for clusters of chinch bugs.
Dead heart resulting
from injury to growing
point below ground.
Characteristic C-shape of white grubs
(top). Bristles of the true white grub form
a zipper on the raster (bottom) located
on the underside of the last abdominal
segment.
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(Stunting or wilting symptoms continued from page 11)
SYMPTOMS
When w i lti n g o r stu n ti n g o ccu rs i n lo ca li ze d a re a s b o rd e ri n g
ri p e n i n g sm a ll g ra i n s, and masses of small, active, reddish or black-
and-white sucking bugs are clustered in the soil near the bases of
stressed corn plants, the pest is
Chinch bug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 14
S e v e re w i lti n g ca n b e e x p re sse d a s d e a d h e a rt, in which the
center leaves of a plant wilt and die; sometimes the affected leaves
take on a blue-green tint before dying. Dead heart is caused by an
insect tunneling through the stalk into the growing point and may
be accompanied by stunting and excessive tillering. The three
prime suspects are
Wireworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Black cutworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Older larvae occasionally tunnel into the stalks of larger
corn, especially during dry periods.
Stalk borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
White Grubs
White grubs are the larval form of scarab beetles (June beetles and several species
of chafers). All of the grub species prefer to feed on the roots of grasses, and the
majority of eggs are laid in sod and grassy areas of the eld. The two types of grubs
commonly found in Missouri and Illinois cornelds are true white grubs (June bee-
tles or Phyllophaga spp.) and annual grubs.
Life cycle
Truewhitegrubshavea3-yearlifecycleandspendtwoconsecutivesea-
sonspruningrootsandeatingorganicmatterinthesoil.Annualgrubscom-
pleteasinglegenerationeachyear;theyfeedverylittleinthespring.
Diagnostic tip
Thesetwotypesofgrubscanbedistinguishedfromeachotherbythe
patternofdark,bristlyhairsonthebottomofthetail(calledthe
raster). Truewhitegrubshavetwozipperlikeparallelrowsofbristleson
theraster;onannualgrubs,thebristlyhairsarescatteredandhaveno
pattern.
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EMERGENCE TO KNEE-HIGH CORN (VE TO V8)
Damage
Truewhitegrubschewoffroots,andthisrootpruningresultsinabove-
groundstuntingandwilting(especiallyindrysoils).Leaftipsoccasionally
turnpurplefromthetipsback;lowerleavesareaffectedrst.Annualwhite
grubscancausesomeinjury,occasionallyresultinginminorstandloss,
whengrowingconditionsarenotoptimum.
Management
Althoughnoestablishedthresholdexists,twoormoretruewhitegrubs
percubicfootofsoil(asnotedduringatillagepass)maycausestandlossin
corn. Norescuetreatmentexists.Consideranin-furrowinsecticidetreat-
mentifcornisplantedoverpastureorgrassygroundbroughtoutofthe
ConservationReserveProgram.Forannualgrubs,soilinsecticidesarenot
recommended.
Becausescarabbeetlesfavorgrassyareasforegglaying,cornfollowing
sodismostatriskforrootpruningbytruewhitegrubs.
Incidence
WhitegrublarvaearefoundfromAprilthroughearlyJune.
White grub damage to
corn seedling. Root prun-
ing results in wilting and
stunting.
Grape Colaspis
The grape colaspis has a broad host range, including corn. Although both the
adult beetle and larval stages feed on corn, damage is seldom economically signicant.
Theimmatures(larvae)arealsocalledcloverrootwormsandresemble
miniaturewhitegrubs.Theyarestout,gray-whiteandabout
1
8 inchlong,
withlightbrownheadsandthreepairsoftruelegs(nearthehead).The
adultbeetlesaretan-coloredandabout
1
6 inchlong. Thewingcovers
appearstripedduetolongitudinalrowsofshallowpits.
Thepartiallygrownlarvaeoverwinter,androotfeedingresumesinMay.
Femalesdepositeggs,usuallyinclumpsofabout36,neartherootsofhost
plants. Thereisasinglegenerationeachyear.
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Grapecolaspisadultsshouldnotbeconfusedwithnewlyemerged,
palenortherncornrootwormbeetles.Thetancolorwillbesimilar,but
grapecolaspisbeetlescanbedistinguishedbytheirsmallersizeandalso
therowsofshallowpitsthatappeartoformstripesonthewingcovers.
Also,dontconfusethetiny,
1
8-inchgrapecolaspislarvaewithearly-
stagewhitegrubs.Grapecolaspislarvaearelessstronglycurved(more
comma-shapedthanC-shaped)andhavesmallbumpsthatbearaclump
ofhairsontheundersideoftheabdomen.
Damage
Grapecolaspislarvaeprunetheroothairsorgnawnarrow,lengthwise Grapecolaspis adult and its feeding damage.
Grape colaspis larvae and pupa
(upper right). Root pruning by
larvae produces aboveground
symptoms similar to damage by
white grubs.
14
Chinch bug adults and nymphs. They fre-
quently congregate behind leaf sheaths at
the base of corn plants.
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Chinch bug injury to corn. The plant is
stunted and the stalk has failed to elongate,
so that leaves appear clustered around the
base of the plant.
stripsfromtherootsofcornseedlings.Cornplantsappearpurpleand
stunted,seldomreachingaheightof10inches,andmaywiltonhot,dry
days.
Adultbeetleschewholesintheleaves,orstriponesurfaceawaytogivea
windowpaneeffect.Thisminordefoliationdoesnotresultineconomic
injurytocorn.
Management
Noeconomicthresholdforgrapecolaspisinjuryhasbeenestablished,
andnosoilinsecticideislabeledforcontrolofthisinfrequentpestincorn.
First-yearcornfollowingcloverortimothysod,favoriteegg-layingsites
ofgrapecolaspis,aremostsusceptibletofeedingbythelarvae.
Occasionally,cornplantedaftersoybeansoralfalfaisinjuredbylarvalfeed-
ing. Adultsalsofavorpatchesofsmartweedforegglaying,andsoybean
eldswithheavysmartweedpressuremaybeinfestedwiththelarvaethefol-
lowingspring. Injuryisusuallymoreseverewhenunfavorableweather
slowsthegrowthofseedlingcorn.
Distribution
Thedamagetypicallyoccursinpatcheswithinaeld,becausegrape
colaspiseggsarelaidinlargeclumpsnearthebasesofhostplants.
Incidence
LarvaearefoundinMayandJune;adultsappearinJuneandJuly.
Chinch Bug
Full-grownadultsare
3
16 inchlong. Chinchbugshaveablackbodyand
whiteforewingswithtwoblackspots.Winglessnymphschangefrombright
redtoblackastheydevelopandhaveawhitebandacrosstheback.Adults
prefertooverwinteratthebaseofwarm-seasonbunchgrassesandthen
migratetosmallgrainsearlyinthespring. Asthesmallgrainsmature,
chinchbugsmoveintoadjacenteldsofmoresucculentcornandsorghum.
Diagnostic tip
Whencrushed,chinchbugsgiveoffadistinctive,mustyodor.
Damage
Chinchbugsinducewiltingbyremovingplantjuiceswiththeirpiercing-
suckingmouthparts.Injuryisrstevidentonlowerleaves,whichturnyellow
andwilt. Thestalkfailstoelongateproperlyanddamagedplantsbecome
stunted,withtheleafsheathsclusteredatthebaseoftheplant.Leavesof
stuntedplantsoftenshowyelloworreddishstreakingfromchinchbugfeed-
ing. Youngplantsareoftenkilled,especiallyifdrought-stressed.Heavily
damagedplantsthatsurviveremainstuntedandmayproducesuckers.
Adultsandwinglessnymphsarefoundnearthebaseofthestalk,behind
15
leafsheaths,oronthestemandrootsbelowgroundduringdryconditions.
Thepotentialforchinchbugdamageishigherduringhotanddrysprings
andearlysummer.
Newlyhatchedreddishchinchbugscanresemblesmall,brightred
soil-dwellingmites,andchinchbugadultscanbemistakenforfalse
chinchbugs. Falsechinchbugadultsare
1
8 inchlongandgrayishwith
wingsthatareclearandlacktheblackspotsofthechinchbugswingcov-
ers. Falsechinchbugnymphsarebrownishgraywithtinyreddishspots
onthetanabdomen,andtheylackthewhitebandfoundacrossthemid-
dleofchinchbugnymphs. Falsechinchbugsprefertosucksapfrom
mustard,pepperweed,shepherds-purse,andotherweeds.Cornis
attackedonlywhentheweedhostsbecomeunavailable. Likechinchbug
injury,heavyfeedingbyfalsechinchbugsmaycausewiltingandbrown-
ingoftheouterleafmarginsincorn.
Management
Treatborderrowsatrstmigrationiflowerleavesbegintoturnyellow
andwither.Atentativethresholdis10chinchbugsperseedlinguptothe
V4stage.
Distribution
Infestationsrstdevelopneartheouter30to40rowsofcorneldsbor-
deringripeningsmallgrains. Anareaofwiltedorstuntedcorngradesinto
undamagedplantsatthemarginoftheinfestation.
Incidence
LateMaythroughJune
Wilted plants. I f wilting is localized near
small grains or grasses, check the base of
plants at and below ground level for chinch
bugs.
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Black Cutworm
The black cutworm is by far the most destructive species of the cutworm complex
in corn. However, there are other less common subterranean cutworms that clip or
injure seedlings in the same way as the black cutworm. See box on the claybacked
cutworm.
Theadultmothsaregraywithasmallblackdaggermarkingoneach
forewing. TheblackcutwormdoesnotoverwinterinMissouriorIllinois
(exceptoccasionallyinMissourisBootheelregion).Mothsmigratetothe
Sixth-instar black cutworm larva next to
CornBeltfromcoastalareasoftheGulfofMexicoinearlyspring.Most
clipped stem. Cutting of corn begins when
eggsaredepositedonlow,densevegetation,especiallyearlyseason
larvae reach the fourth instar.
broadleafweedssuchaschickweedandcurlydock. Thegrayishlarvahasno
distinctmarkingsandispalerontheunderside. Theblackcutwormpro-
gressesthroughsixorsevenlarvalstages(calledinstars),butlarvaemust
reachthefourthinstarbeforetheyarelargeenoughtocutseedlingcorn.
Thelarvaearenocturnalfeeders,hidinginshallowburrowsorundersoil
clodsduringtheday.Althoughthereareseveralgenerationseachyear,only
therstgenerationcauseseconomicinjuryincorn.
16
Pinhole leaf feeding by
third-instar or younger
cutworm larvae.
Signs of black cutworm cutting. Plants
can be severed above or below ground
(above). A cutworm may drag a cut plant
into its burrow and feed on it later.
Gently dig around wilted or severed plants
to expose the culprit for positive identica-
tion (below).
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isabouthalfthediameterofback cles(oneachsegment)
outerpaironeachsegment
diameter

Damagemaybeeconomic
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Identication tips:
Black cutworm Dingy cutworm
Grainy,roughskintexture Smoothskintexture
Frontinnerpairofdorsaltubercles Allfourofthedorsaltuber-
areapproximatelyequalin
Cutscornatorbelowthesoillevel Leaffeeder;rarelycutscorn
Notaneconomicproblem
Black cutworm Dingy cutworm
Donotconfusetheblackcutwormwithotherleaf-feedingcutworms
ofminorimportanceorwithcraneylarvae.Distinguishblackcutworm
fromthedingycutwormbyskintextureandthesizeofthetubercles
(dark-pigmentedbumps)oneachsegmentontheback.
Thelarva(maggot)ofaspeciesofcraneycommonlyfoundinwet
corneldsinearlyMayisaboutthesamelengthandcolorasayoung
blackcutworm,butdoesnotinjureplants.Thereareobviousphysical
distinctions:
Black cutworm Crane y larva
Well-developedheadcapsule Poorlydevelopedhead
Notail-endprojections Fleshyprojectionsaround
Threepairsoftruelegsbehindthe thetailend
headandeshyprolegsonthemiddle Legless
andrearsegments
Damage
Signsandsymptomsinclude:
Leaffeeding,usuallyconsistingofsmallpinholesandlightmargin
feedingbylarvaetoosmalltocutplants(thirdinstarsorsmaller)
Plantscutatorjustabovethesoilsurface
Purplish,lodgedplantscutbelowground
Wilting,ordeadheart,oftenduetotunnelingoflargerplantsbyolder
instars
Cutcornleavespartiallyburiedinburrows
Theremovaloftheblackcutwormsweedhostsatornearplantingoften
setsthestageforinjurytoseedlingcorn.Theinjuriouscuttingstage(fourth
instartopupation)lasts2
1
2 to3weeks(dependingontemperature).Cornis
17
vulnerabletocuttingfromthecoleoptilethroughtheV4growthstage.
Early-plantedcornmayoutgrowthethreatofblackcutwormdamage,espe-
ciallyifthemothmigrationpeaksaslateasMay.Onaverage,eachlarvais
capableofcuttingfourV1plantsoroneV4plantbeforepupation.
Management
Planting-timeinsecticidetreatmentsaregenerallynotadvisableforthis
sporadicpestbecauseofthedifcultyofpredictingwhicheldswillhave
economicblackcutworminfestations.
Therecommendedmanagementplanhastwoparts:
Scoutelds.
Treatwithapostemergencerescueinsecticideiftheeconomic
thresholdisreached.
Amothtrappingprogramtracksthespringmigrationofblackcutworm
mothsandisusedinconjunctionwithadegree-daymodelthatpredictslar-
valgrowth.Intensivepheromonetrapcapturesserveasabiox,trigger-
ingtheaccumulationofthe300degree-daysrequiredfordevelopmentfrom
eggtothefourth-instarcuttingstage.Thisforecastingmodelindicates
whentobegineldscoutingbutcannotpredicttheseverityofblackcut-
wormdamage. Anaccurateassessmentofwhethertheeconomicthreshold
hasbeenreacheddependsonthefollowinginformation:
Percentageofplantsdamagedaboveandbelowground
Averageinstarofthelarvae,asmeasuredbyaheadcapsulegauge(not
lengthoflarvae)
Corngrowthstage(coleoptilethroughtheV4stage)
Plantpopulation
Economic thresholds
Differentthresholdsaresetforabove-andbelow-grounddamage,
becausetheextentofyieldreductionislinkedtothelocationofcutting(and
thegrowingpoint).OnlyhalfofV1seedlingsgenerallysurvivesubsurface
cutting,andthemortalityratedecreaseswiththecorngrowthstage.
Insecticidetreatmentmaybejustiedif
2%to4%ofcornseedlingsarecutbelowground
6%to8%ofcornseedlingsarefeduponorcutaboveground
Usethelowerendofeachthresholdiftheplantpopulationislow.
Reducedtillageorno-tillelds
Cornplantedintosoybeanstubble(thene-texturedresidueisattrac-
tivetoegg-layingmoths)
Earlyspringweedcoverjustbeforeplanting
Poorlydrainedlowareasorrecentlyoodedriverbottoms
Late-plantedeldsincool,wetgrowingconditions
Incidence
Fourth-instarorlargerblackcutwormlarvaemaydamageseedlingcorn
fromearlyMaythroughmid-June.
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Purplish, lodged plant
gouged below the soil
surface by black cut-
worm.
Wilted V4-stage plant. This injury is typi-
cally caused by wireworms or older black
cutworms tunneling into underground
portion of stalk.
Stand loss caused by black cutworm.
18
SYMPTOMS
U n n a tu ra l g ro w th
S te m tw i sti n g o r e x ce ssi v e ti lle ri n g may be due to growing point
injury by insects that bore into corn.
Tunneled plants that survive may also express
Dead heart (center leaves wilt and die)
Stunting and delayed development
Barrenness or small ears
Although incidental to the more serious growing point injury,
holes produced in the leaves by tunneling or drilling activity can be
diagnostic.
Stem twisting. I njury to the grow-
Stalk borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18
ing point by stalk borer can cause
Irregular rows of large and ragged holes in emerging
twisting of the stem.
leaves are often the result of entry into the stalk. Examine
whorls for frass (excrement).
Billbugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rows of small circular and symmetrical holes may be the
result of a billbug using its snout to gouge a cavity in the
stem just below the soil surface. No frass is left in whorl.
Stink bugs
Transverse row of oval holes usually ringed with yellow.
No obvious puncture near the base of the plant, but may
have a slimy, decaying area inside the lower stalk where
the piercing-sucking beak has penetrated the stalk.
An infrequent pest.
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Transverse rows of holes.
Potential suspects are
Stalk Borer
small stalk borers or bill-
bugs.
Thedistinctivelarvaearewhitewithbrownishpurplestripesextending
thelengthofthebody.Thereisapurpleheartorbandbehindthetruelegs,
butthepurplishstripesandheartfadeinolderlarvae.Theadultmoths
layeggsduringlatesummerongrassesandsomebroadleafweeds(e.g.,
bromegrass,ragweed,smartweed,lambsquarters,andpigweed).Thelarvae
typicallyhatchinearlyMayandtunnelintoweedyhostplants. Larvae
eventuallyoutgrowtheiroriginalhostsandmigratetolargerdiameter
plants,whichoftenincludecornifplantednearby.Larvaeactivelyfeedfor8
to10weeks. Thereisasinglegenerationeachyear.
Diagnostic tips
Thepresenceofnoticeablystuntedcornrowsnexttopermanently
Stalk borers. Young borers (left) have a
grassyareasorfencerowsmayindicateastalkborerinfestation.The
prominent purple heart coloration that
stalkboreristheonlylarvafoundinMissouriandIllinoiscorneldsthat
fades as the larva ages (right).
hasadistinctdiagonalblackstripeoneachsideoftheorangehead.
19
Damage
Thestalkborermayattackcornatanytimeafteremergence,butthe
cornplantstolerancetoinjuryincreasesgreatlyaftertheV6growthstage.
Stalkborerscaninjurecornplantsintwoways:
Leaffeedingisthemorecommonlyseentypeofdamage.Larvae
enterthewhorlfromaboveandfeeddeepinthewhorlleaves.This
feedingproducesirregularrowsofraggedholes,whichenlargeasthe
leavesunfold. Althoughfoliarfeedingmayappearsevere,itdoesnot
reduceyield.
Drillingintothebaseofthestalkisthemuchmoreseveretypeof
injury.Destructionofthegrowingpointduringboringtypically
resultsindeadheartoftheinnerwhorl,althoughtheouterwhorl
leavesremainhealthy.Tunneledplantsthatsurviveareoftenstunted
anddelayedindevelopment,showunnaturalgrowthsuchasstem
twistingandexcessivetillering,andcaneitherbebarrenorproduce
smallerears.
Management
Aswithotherstalk-boringinsectpests,insecticidetreatmentisnoteffective
oncestalkborershavetunneledintocorn.Therefore,controlmeasuresshould
beproperlytimedtotargetvulnerablestages,suchaseggs,newlyhatchedlar-
vae,andmigratinglarvae.Managementoptionsincludethefollowing:
Plantearlyineldswithahistoryofstalkborerdamage,orifthereis
highpotentialforinfestationduetograssyweedproblems.
ControlgrassyweedsintheeldbeforeegglayingbeginsinAugustto
minimizeproblemsthefollowingseason.
Burngrasswaterwaysandditchesbeforespringgreen-upinelds
withoutgrassyweedproblems.
Ifgrassyareasarenotburned,scoutthersttwocornrowsfor
migratinglarvaeandleaffeeding,ortargethatchinglarvaebyspraying
egg-layingsiteswithapyrethroidinsecticide.However,timingthis
activityisdifcult.
Beginscoutingborderrowswhen1,300to1,400degree-days(base41
degreesF)haveaccumulatedsinceJanuary1,todetermineiflarvaeare
migratingintocorn.
Recurrent,eldwideinfestationscanbetreatedafterhatchbyaspring
applicationofaburndownherbicide(toforcelarvaeoutofgrassy
weedhosts)incombinationwithacompatibleinsecticide.
Economic injury level
Theeconomicinjurylevelisthelowestpestdensitythatcancauseeco-
nomicdamage. Economicinjurylevelsforstalkborerriseascorngrows,
doublingfrom14%ofcorninfestedattheV5stageto28%infestedatthe
V6stage. Aninsecticidetreatmentofborderrowsmaybejustiedifonly
10%ofV2cornisinfestedwithstalkborer.(Theseeconomicinjurylevels
assumeamarketvalueof$2.50/bushelcorn,managementcostsof
$13.00/acre,and80%controlwithaninsecticide.)Targetlarvaewithan
insecticidebefore theyhavetunneledintocornplants(i.e.,whenstillfeeding
inthewhorls).
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Classic stalk borer feeding injury on leaves.
Ragged holes are obvious in the shadow of
the plant in this photo.
Stalk borer tunneling injury to growing
point. Surviving plants may express stunt-
ing, dead heart, and stem twisting.
20
Feeding damage by thrips. Shiny
black frass pellets are present with
thrips damage.
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Narrow tracks from ea bee-
tle feeding.
C la y b a ck e d C u tw o rm
Overall grayish body with broad
yellowish brown stripe down the
back.
Small larvae pull leaves into bur-
rows and feed from tip to base.
Larger larvae cut seedlings at or
just above the base of the plant.
Like the dingy cutworm (page 16),
overwinters as partially grown
larva and resumes feeding in early
spring.
Economic thresholds are the same
as for black cutworm (page 17).
Late-plantedcorneldsaremostatriskaslarvaemigratefromtheir
earlierweedorgrasshosts,becausecornyoungerthantheV7stageis
morevulnerabletoinjury.
Damage(especiallyintilledcorn)isoftenconnedtothefourborder
rowsnexttoprimeegg-layingsites,suchasgrasswaterways,fence
lines,andditches.
Inno-tillcorn,eldwideinfestationsarepossibleifweedygrasscon-
trolwaspoorthepreviousseason.
Incidence
MayandJune
SYMPTOMS
S p e ck le d o r sa n d b la ste d le a v e s
Speckled or mottled leaves, especially on seedlings, may signal
the presence of thrips. Although this feeding injury may be con-
fused with sandblasting from blowing soil, the shiny black frass
(excrement) pellets do not appear on wind-damaged foliage.
Thrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 21
R e m o v a l o f p la n t ti ssu e
I rre g u la r n a rro w li n e s o r tra ck s scra tch e d fro m to p la y e r o f
ti ssu e
Leaf tissue is stripped from the top layer, and damage appears as
irregular, narrow lines running parallel to the veins.
Corn ea beetle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Wh o le p la n ts cu t o ff n e a r b a se
Black cutworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Most cutting is done by the black cutworm. It may be con-
fused at times with its less common subterranean cousin,
the claybacked cutworm, because of the similar appear-
ance and feeding habits of the two cutworm species.
Sod webworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
An occasional pest in corn following sod or grassy elds.
(More tissue removal symptoms on page 23)
21
Thrips
Appearance
Grassthrips,commonlyfoundincorn,areminute(
1
16-inch),elongate,
yellowinsects. Adultthripshaveslenderwingsfringedwithlonghairs(as
viewedundermagnication);theimmaturesarewinglessandyellow-
orange.
Damage
Thripsraspplanttissuesandsucktheexudingjuices. Theyfeeddeepin
thewhorl,undertheleafsheaths,andontheundersideofthelowerleaves.
Wheninjuryisextensiveandthecornplantisstressed,leavesmayappearto
haveasilverycast.Thripsfeedingisrarelyaneconomicproblemunless
cornislessthan1foottall,numerousplantsaredamaged,andwiltingis
obvious.
Incidence
LateAprilthroughmid-June
Corn Flea Beetle
Fleabeetlesaresonamedbecauseenlargedhindlegsenableimpressive
leapingwhendisturbed. Althoughseveralspeciesofeabeetlescanbe
foundincornelds,thecorneabeetleisthemostcommonlyencountered.
Itisatiny,
1
16-inch,shinyblackbeetle. Survivaloftheoverwinteringbeetles
isfavoredifthemeanmonthlytemperaturesofDecember,January,and
Februarysumtomorethan90degreesF.
Damage
Theuppergreenlayeroftissueisstrippedoffduringfeeding,leaving
graytracksetchedonleafsurfaces.Whilefeeding,adultscantransmit
Stewartsbacterialwilttosusceptibleinbredsinseedproductioneldsand
sensitivesweetcornvarieties.Mostcommercialeldcornhybridsareresis-
tanttoStewartswilt,andthebacterialinfectionremainslocalized.
Management
Considerinsecticidetreatmentofeldcornifeachseedlingisinfested
withmorethanvecorneabeetlesuptotheV4stageofgrowth,espe-
ciallyifthecornisundergoingenvironmentalstress.Inseedproduction
elds,controlisprobablyjustiedwhenthecorneabeetleisrstnoticed
inthoseinbredssusceptibletoStewartswilt.
Cornplantedearlyduringcool,wetspringsismorevulnerabletocorn
eabeetleinjurybecauseitisgrowingslowlyandexposedtofeedingforan
extendedperiod. Damageisalsomorelikelyafteramildwinter.
Incidence
AprilandMay
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Grass thrips (yellow, elongated insects)
with green corn leaf aphids. Due to their
size and feeding sites, thrips are not com-
monly seen.
Adult corn ea beetle on corn.
First signs of ea beetle feeding
are narrow tracks.
Extensive feeding may result
in a frosted appearance,
especially on the leaf tips and
margins.
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Sod webworm. The shiny, dark spots on
sod webworms help to distinguish them
from other larvae infesting cornelds in
May.
Signs of sod webworm. Leaf
feeding or plant cutting can
look similar to black cutworm
damage. However, only sod
webworms make silk tunnels
at the base of plants.
Sod Webworm
Thelarvahasadarkbrownheadwithalightgray-brownbody.Ithas
numerous,polishedtubercles(darkspots)andissparselycoveredwith
coarsebristles. Theadults(moths)layeggsingrassyareas,andsmalllarvae
overwinteruntilactivefeedingresumesinearlyMay.
Damage
Damagecanappearsimilartoblackcutwormclippingwhenplantsare
cutoffatorjustbelowthesoilsurface,orsimilartocutwormorarmyworm
feedingwhenholesarechewedinleavesoralongmargins.Becausesod
webwormsoverwinter,theymaybefoundslightlyearlierintheseasonthan
blackcutwormlarvae.Cornplantsseveredearlyinthespringfrequently
regrowbecausethegrowingpointisstillprotectedbelowgroundwhencut-
tingoccurs.
Diagnostic tip
Sodwebwormscanoftenbefoundinshort,silk-linedtunnelsatthe
baseofcornplants.Cutwormsandarmywormsdonotshelterinsilken
tunnels(althoughsomecutwormsdoburrowinthesoil).
DonotconfusesodwebwormswithEuropeancornborerlarvae,
whicharelessstronglyspottedandwithoutcoarsehairs.Inaddition,
Europeancornborerlarvaedonotconstructsilkentunnelsorshelterat
thebaseofyoungcornplantsandarenotencounteredsoearlyinthe
spring(May).
Management
Althougheconomicthresholdshavenotbeendevelopedspecicallyfor
sodwebworms,thresholdsestablishedforblackcutwormscan
beusedthroughtheV4growthstage.Economicdamagetocornbysod
webwormsisuncommon.
Sodwebwormfeedingtendstobemoreextensivewhencornfollowssod
orverygrassyelds.
Incidence
MaythroughearlyJune
23
(Tissue removal symptoms continued from page 20)
SYMPTOMS
C h u n k s o f le a f ti ssu e o r e n ti re le a v e s e a te n
Several insects will chew notches along the leaf margins, sever
leaves from the plant, or feed so deep in the whorl that leaves Cut corn plant dragged into black
emerge ragged and torn. cutworm burrow.
These leaf feeders generally damage corn from May through mid-
June and are less active or hidden during the day. If you cannot
nd the insect that you suspect caused the damage, look for associ-
ated plant injury or insect clues. Such evidence, in conjunction with
the time of the season or stage of corn growth, may help pinpoint
the culprit. Keep in mind that a single eld may contain several
species of insect pests (e.g., cutworms, sod webworms, and billbugs).
Cutworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pages 15, 16, 20
Although the dingy cutworm is the most common foliage
feeder in the cutworm complex in corn, the subterranean
cutworms (black and claybacked) sometimes consume
clipped leaves or seedlings that are dragged into their bur-
Sod webworm damage
to corn seedling.
rows.
Sod webworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Often hides in silken tunnels at the base of plants.
Leafrollers
Web together the tips of corn leaves and feed inside.
Not an economic problem.
Southern corn leaf beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chews notches in the leaf margins and sometimes in the
stems.
(More symptoms of tissue removal on page 24)
Leafroller damage. Leafrollers web
together tips of leaves for a protected feed-
ing site.

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(Tissue removal symptoms continued from page 23)
SYMPTOMS
Look for different patterns of leaf feeding, the presence or
absence of stalk tunneling, and the location of larvae to distinguish
stalk borer and armyworm damage.
Stalk borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18
Leaf feeding deep in the whorl produces ragged holes as
emerging leaves expand.
Rows of ragged holes.
Reddish brown, moist frass (excrement) found in the whorl.
Leaf feeding by stalk borer
Tunneling through the stalk causes dead heart when the
deep in the whorl becomes
growing point is injured.
obvious when the leaves
expand.
Plants that survive growing point injury may be twisted
and stunted, or tiller excessively.
Larvae frequently found inside stalks.
Armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Margins of the leaves are stripped, sometimes to the mid-
vein; corn up to V8 may be completely defoliated.
Feeding starts on the lower leaves and progresses up the
plant.
No tunneling through the cornstalk or associated injury
symptoms (twisting, tillering, etc.).
Light leaf feeding by armyworm.
Larvae hide under soil clods or crop residue during the
I rregular notching of leaf margins is usu-
day.
ally the rst sign of their presence.
S m a ll, sy m m e tri ca l, ro u n d e d h o le s i n le a v e s
A transverse row of symmetrical holes across the leaves as they
unfurl may be the result of tunneling or drilling into the base of
corn younger than V5. Black cutworms and sod webworms occa-
sionally leave such signs of damage, in conjunction with their more
typical leaf feeding and cutting; however, the prime suspect is bill-
Classicbillbug damage
bugs. Adult billbugs gouge through stems at the base of seedlings
(right). Feeding results in
with their snouts, producing a row of circular to elliptical holes
transverserows of holes.
across leaves as they expand.
Asymmetrical, lacy holes
Billbugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
in leaves (below) from
southern corn rootworm
L a cy , sk e le to n i ze d le a v e s
beetlefeeding.
If the leaves have asymmetrical, lacy holes or lesions, look for the
Southern corn rootworm beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
The adults will occasionally strip tissue from between the
veins so that the leaf appears skeletonized, with lacy
foliage.
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Southern Corn Leaf Beetle
Thesoutherncornleafbeetleisgenerallyaninfrequentpestofseedling
corn. Theadultis
3
16 inchlongandgray-brownandsometimesbronze-
tinted. Bitsofsoilsometimesclingtoitsthickcoveringofshort,stiffhairs
andserveascamouage.Theadultbeetlesoverwinterandthendeposit
clumpsofeggsnearthebaseofcornassoonasplantsareavailable.The
overwinteringbeetlesfeedinearlyspringoncorn,aswellasweedssuchas
cocklebur,smartweed,andcrabgrass.
Southern corn leaf beetle. I t
may be difcult to nd
Damage
because of its soil camouage.
Thebeetleschewholesintheleaves,andnotchesintheleafmarginsand
occasionallyinthestems. BasalclippingofcornuptotheV2stagecan
occurbutisnotascommonasfoliardamage. Cornseedlingscansometimes
bekilledwhenthebeetlesfeedinlargeclusters.
Diagnostic tips
SoutherncornleafbeetlesmayinfestcornfromMaythroughmid-
June. Thus,theirseasonalfeeding,evidencedbynotchingintheleaf
margins,oftenoverlapswithsimilardamagecausedbythreelarvalpests:
cutworms,sodwebworm,andarmyworm.Inaddition,allfoursuspects
prefertofeedatnight. Thesoutherncornleafbeetleoftendropstothe
groundandhideswhendisturbed,soitisdifculttond.Therefore,be
preparedtospendtimesearchingundersoilclodsandcropresiduefor
thefoliagefeeder(s)responsibleforthedamage.
Feeding damage by
Management southern corn leaf bee-
Thereisnoeconomicthresholdestablishedandnoinsecticidelabeledfor
tle. Damage can be
controlofthisinfrequentpestofseedlingcorn.
confused with that of
black cutworm.
No-tillcornorcornfollowinggrassorsodappearstobemoresusceptible
tofeedingbythesoutherncornleafbeetle.
Incidence
Maythroughmid-June
Billbugs
Althoughseveralspeciesofbillbugsarefoundincorn,themaizebillbugis
themostcommon. Maizebillbugsaregray-brownsnoutweevilsabout
2
5 inch
long. Theyoverwinteringrassesandsedges(especiallyyellownutsedge),eld
residue,orsoil. Inthespring,billbugsfeed,mate,andlayupto200eggsovera
2-monthperiod. Thetinygrubsdevelopinsidethestem.Adultsareoftencryp-
ticanddifculttond,evenaroundinjuredplants,becausetheircolorblendsin
withthesoilandtheyaremostlyactiveatnight.Billbugsseldomy,butthey
willcrawlupto
1
4 mileinsearchoffood.Thereisasinglegenerationeachyear.
Adult billbugs. L
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Transverse rows of holes from
adult billbug damage. Although
billbugs are difcult to nd in
the eld, leaf damage may indi-
cate their presence.
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Young, pale green armyworm larvae.
Larva on the upper right has the looper-
like posture typical of young larvae. As
larvae age, they acquire characteristic
stripes.
Damage
Soonaftertheyemergeasadults,billbugsbeginfeedingoncornby
insertingtheirlongsnoutsintothebaseofcornstalks.Anarrowfeedingslit
(usuallybelowground)upto
1
2 inchlonginthesideoftheyoungstalkisan
indicationofbillbuginjury.Smallplantsmaybestuntedorevenkilledby
billbuggougingandfeedingonthetenderinnerstemtissues. Asleaves
emergefromlargerinjuredplants,asymmetricalrowofholesappearsacross
theleavesfrombillbugfeedingwhiletheleaveswerestillrolled.Iffeeding
hasinjuredthegrowingpoint,excessivesuckeringanddistortedgrowth
results. Developinggrubsthatfeedinsidethestemsnearthesoilsurface
mayalsocausestunting.
Management
Leaffeedingdoesnotresultineconomicinjurytothecrop.Controlis
warrantedonlyifasignicantnumberofplantsarebeinginjuredbygoug-
ingoftheinnerstemandadultsarestillpresent.Treatmentsarenoteffec-
tiveagainstgrubsfeedinginsidethestem.Therearenoeconomic
thresholdsestablishedforbillbuginjury.
Damageismorecommonincornfollowingsodorineldsinfestedwith
yellownutsedge.
Incidence
AprilandMay
Armyworm
The armyworm is also referred to as the true armyworm to distinguish it from
other armyworm species (fall, yellowstriped, etc.). In outbreak years, large numbers
of armyworms migrate from eld to eld, consuming grasses and grain crops.
Thesand-coloredmothshaveasmallbutprominentwhitespotinthe
centerofeachforewing.Newlyhatchedlarvaearepalegreenandmovelike
loopers. Thefull-grownlarvaeare1
1
2 incheslong,nearlyhairless,anddull-
greentobrownwithalternatinglightanddarkstripesrunningthelengthof
thebackandsides.
InMissouriandsouthernIllinois,theoverwinteringarmywormpopula-
tionofpartlygrownlarvaeissupplementedbyspringmigrants,whichtypi-
callyarriveduringtherstweekofApril.Themothslaytheeggsofthe
rstgenerationinlush,grassyvegetationinAprilandMay.Larvaefeedat
night(andonovercastdays)for3to4weeksongrasscrops,especiallycorn,
sorghum,andwheat.Duringtheday,armywormsremainhiddenundersoil
clodsorcropresidue.TherearetypicallythreegenerationsinMissouriand
Illinoiseachyear,butthelarvaeoftherstgenerationdomostofthedam-
age(inMayandJune).
27
Diagnostic tips
Twocharacteristicmarkingsdistinguishmid-sizetolargearmyworms
fromotherstripedleaf-feedinglarvae,suchasfallarmyworms:
Darkbandsatthetopofeachproleg
White-borderedorangestripesrunninglaterallyalongthebody
Damage
Incorn,armywormsgenerallyfeedonthewhorlleavesofyoungplants;
thedamagefrequentlyrstappearsasirregularnotchingofthemargins.
Heavyinfestationsofarmywormsmaycompletelydefoliatecornlessthan8
inchestallandmaystripallleaftissuetothemidribinoldercorn.Heavy
defoliationcanoccurvirtuallyovernightifhighnumbersoffullygrownlar-
vaemoveallatonceintoaseedlingcorneld.
Armywormsundergogreatuctuationsinpopulationfromyeartoyear,
reachingdestructivepeaksatsporadicandunpredictableintervals.
Outbreaksappeartobemorecommonaftercool,wetsprings,dueinpartto
thesuppressionofnormalactivityoftheparasitoidsandpredatorsthathold
populationsincheck.
Management
Armywormsgenerallyfeedduringthenightandhidebyday,sooften
theyarenotdiscovereduntiltheyareatleasthalf-grown.Scoutearlyinthe
morningorlaterintheevening,whenlarvaemaybemoreactive.Ifan
earlyinfestationisdetectedinagrassyborderorripeningwheatadjacentto
corn,sprayafewswathstoformabarrierstripbetweentheinfestationand
thecorneld.Goodgrasscontrolwithinandaroundeldsoftenreduces
thelikelihoodofanarmywormoutbreak.
Cornoftenrecoversfrommoderatefeedingunlessthegrowingpointisdam-
aged. Treatmentmaybejustiedwhen25%ofcornplantsaredamagedand
larvaearestillpresent.Avoidrevengesprayingwhencropdamageisdiscov-
eredaftermajordefoliation,becausethewormsareoftenlargeanddifcultto
killbythistime. Armywormslargerthan1
1
4 inchesarepreparingtopupate.
Fields most likely to sustain injury early in the season include corn no-
tilled into
Asmallgraincovercrop
Pastureorsod
Aeldwithheavygrassyweedpressure
Outbreaksusuallyoriginateineldsofsmallgrainorgrasses,especially
wherethereisrankvegetativegrowth.Therefore,corneldsadjacentto
maturingsmallgrainsarevulnerabletoattacklaterintheseason.Larvae
mayalsomoveinunison(armies)frompastures,fencerows,orother
grassyareasastheydepleteafoodsupply.
Distribution
Inthetypicaltilledeld,infestationsarerstfoundineldmarginswhere
armywormshavemigratedinfromamaturinggraineldorgrassyborder.
Incidence
MaytolateJune

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Older armyworm larva. Look for dark
bands at the top of each proleg and the
white-bordered orange stripes along the
side.
Armyworm defoliation. Except for the
midvein, armyworms may eat the entire
leaf. A parasitoids egg can be seen behind
the head region.
Heavy armyworm damage.
Larvae feed nocturnally and
typically hide during the day.
V 8 to V T )
28
K n e e -h i g h to ta sse li n g co rn
OVERVIEW
F ro m k n e e -h i g h to ta sse li n g sta g e , lo o k fo r:
L e a f ti ssu e re m o v e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p a g e s 2 8 , 2 9
margin feeding or ragged holes in leaves
small, circular holes or elongated lesions
S ta lk s m a lfo rm e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8
lodging or gooseneck growth
H o le s b o re d i n sta lk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8
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SYMPTOMS
C h u n k s o f p la n t ti ssu e re m o v e d fro m le a f m a rg i n s, o r ra g g e d h o le s
i n le a v e s
Stalk borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18
Typical grasshopper feeding pattern.
Transverse rows of ragged holes.
Grasshoppers often consume foliage from
Armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
the leaf margins inward.
Margin feeding; starts on lower leaves and works upward.
Fall armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Ragged holes anywhere in whorl leaves.
Lots of moist, reddish brown frass.
Grasshoppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Feed from margin inward.
Corn earworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
More commonly seen feeding in ear tips.
Ragged holes in whorl leaves.
Moist, tan frass.
(Symptoms of leaf feeding continued on page 29)
Fall armyworm feeding damage. Copious
amounts of frass are left in the whorl when
feeding.
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KNEE-HIGH TO TASSELING CORN (V8 TO VT)
(Leaf tissue removal symptoms continued from page 28)
SYMPTOMS
S m a ll, ci rcu la r h o le s o r e lo n g a te d le si o n s i n le a v e s
Young European corn borer and southwestern corn borer larvae
feed on leaf tissue before they are large enough to tunnel into
stalks.
Small European corn borer larvae feeding deep in the protected
whorl produce a random, buckshot pattern of small circular holes in
the expanding leaves.
Elongated lesions may result from the feeding of larger European
corn borers just before stalk entry or the more extensive whorl
feeding of southwestern corn borers.
European corn borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 32
Southwestern corn borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Southern portions of Missouri and Illinois.
Fall Armyworm
Thefallarmywormisprimarilyapestofcornandothergrasscrops.
Newlyhatchedlarvaearelightgreenwithdarkheadsandmovelikeloopers.
Thefull-grownlarvais1
1
2 incheslongandstriped. Itvariesincolorfrom
lighttanorgreentoalmostblack.Threenarrow,whitishlinesrundownthe
back;extendingalongtheside(justabovethelegs)isawide,wavyyellowish
stripewithredsplotches.Conspicuousblackspots(tubercles)withspines
arescatteredalongthebody.Thedarkgraymothismottledwithlightand
darkpatchesandhasaprominentwhitespotneartheextremetipofeach
forewing. Layeredclustersofthespherical,pearl-grayeggsaregenerally
depositedonthelowerleavesofhostplants;eacheggmassiscoveredwitha
coatingofmothscalesandhairs.
FallarmywormmothsmigratenorthwardfromtheGulfCoast,andthe
rstlargemigratorywavestypicallyarriveinlateJuneinmid-Missouriand
southernandcentralIllinois.Mothsdepositeggs(inmassesaveraging150)
onallstagesofcornfromwhorltosilking.Afterhatching,thelarvae
migratetothewhorl,developingtassel,orear,andfeedfor2to3weeks.
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Shot-hole damage. Small holes result
from feeding by young European corn
borer larvae.
Lesions from whorl feeding by southwest-
ern corn borer. Damage appears similar
to, but more extensive than, that of
European corn borer.
Fall armyworm egg mass and
larvae. Larvae frequently
vary in size and coloration.
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Fall armyworm. Diagnostic features are a
white, inverted Y-shaped suture on head
and four black spots that form a square
near the hind end.
Windowpane feeding by
young fall armyworms.
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Unlikearmyworms,fallarmywormsaredaytimefeedersandareparticularly
activeintheearlymorningorlateafternoon.Largerlarvaetendtobecan-
nibalistic;generallyonlyonesurvivesineachwhorl.Full-grownlarvae
pupateinthesoil,andthemothsthatlaytheeggsofthesecondgeneration
emergeafter10to14days.WhileMissouriusuallyhasthreecompletegen-
erations,Illinoishastwotothreeeachseason.
Diagnostic tips
Threecharacteristicmarkingsdistinguishfallarmywormsfromother
stripedlarvaefeedingoncorn(especiallyarmyworms):
White,invertedY-shapedheadsuture(seam)
Fourdistinctblackspots(tubercles)inasquareontopofthe8th
abdominalsegment(nearthehindend)
Nodarkbandsonthetopsoftheprolegs(asinarmyworm)
Damage
Damagegenerallyhasnoeconomicsignicanceunlessfeedingisdeepin
whorlandinjurestheundevelopedtassel.Themostcommoninjuryisto
late-planted,pre-tasselcorn,andthefeedingisoftenrstnoticeableinearly
tomid-July.Therstthreelarvalinstarsaresmallandleavewindowpanes
inthefoliageastheyconsumethetoplayerwhileleavingthelowerleafsur-
faceintact. Mid-sizedtolargelarvaecutlarge,ragged-edgedholesinthe
leavesofwhorl-stageplants,leavinglotsofmoist,reddishbrownfrassin
theirwake. Asthelarvaefeeddeepinsidethewhorlondevelopingleaves,
theyoccasionallykillthetasselbeforeitemerges.Latergenerationsoflar-
vaemaychewcircularpatchesofkernelsfromanywhereontheear.
Thefallarmywormmayboreanentryholethroughthehuskontheside
oftheeartofeedonkernels.Incontrast,cornearwormsenterearsthrough
thesilkchannelandthereforedonotleaveentryholes.Also,cornearworm
feedingisoftenlimitedtotheeartips,butfallarmywormsdevourkernels
fromanypartoftheear.
Management
Aninsecticideapplicationmaybeeconomicallyjustiedwhen75%of
plantsshowleaffeedingandlarvaearelessthan1
1
4 incheslong. Treatment
tocontrollarvaealreadyinsidetheearsisnoteffective.
Late-plantedcorn,especiallyiflessthan3feetinheight,ismoresuscep-
tibletowhorlandtasselinjury.Egg-layingmothsarealsoattractedtocorn-
eldswithanabundanceofgrassyweeds.
Distribution
Whorl feeding by fall army-
Larvaehatchfromlayeredmassesof50toseveralhundredeggsandthen
worm. Ragged leaves are rst movetoadjacentplants. Consequently,thereareoftenlocalizedhotspots
noticed after they have throughoutaeld.
expanded.
Incidence
JulythroughAugust
31
Grasshoppers
ThetwomostcommongrasshoppersinMissouriandIllinoiscornelds
arethedifferentialandredleggedgrasshoppers.Thedifferentialgrasshop-
perisarobust,olive-greentobrownishgrasshopper,reaching1
3
4 inchesin
length. Theundersideofthebodyisyellow,withcomplete,blackchevrons
(V-shapedpatterns)onthefemurs(thighs)oftheyellowhindlegs.The
redleggedgrasshopperisbrownishredandsmaller,lessthan1inchlong
whenfull-grown;hindlegsareredwithblackspines.Bothspeciesofthese
grasshoppershaveasinglegenerationeachyear.
Adultandnymphalgrasshoppersaresimilarinappearance,exceptthat
thenymphsaresmallerandlackwings.Oldernymphscanbedistinguished
fromnewlyhatchedgrasshoppersbythedevelopmentofwingpads,which
resemblestunted,nonfunctionalwingsandextendtothesecondabdominal
segment.
Bothdifferentialandredleggedgrasshoppersoverwinterineggpodslaid
inuncultivatedground,suchaseldmargins,roadsideditches,fencerows,
waterways,pastures,andno-tillelds.AfteregghatchfromMaytoJune,
nymphsfeedfor2to3weeksongrassesandweedsintheirhatchingbeds.
Nymphsrequireapproximately40daystoreachthewingedadultstage.
Bothadultsandnymphsaregeneralfeedersandreadilymigratetoadjacent
cropswhenthevegetationinhatchingsitesisconsumed,mowed,orlimited
bydrought.
Damage
Grasshopperswillattackmostabovegroundpartsofthecornplant:
leaves,tassels,greensilks,andears.Theyfeedfromthemarginsofthe
leavesinward,andheavyinfestationsmayconsumeallleaftissueexceptthe
midrib. Insevereinfestations,thecornstandisstrippedofleavesandonly
barestalksremain.Cropdamageisusuallyworseinyearswhendrought
reducesnaturalvegetationandgrasshoppersmigratetosucculentcornelds.
Management
Targetthelessmobile,smallernymphswhiletheyarestillconnedto
thehatchingbedsalongeldmargins.Youngergrasshoppersaremore
effectivelycontrolledwithinsecticides,andtreatmentoverasmallerareais
requiredbeforetheoldergrasshoppersdispersethroughouttheeld.A
walkingsurveythroughthehatchingsitesallowsaroughassessmentof
grasshopperpressure.Countthenumberofgrasshopperspersquareyard
ingrassyandweedyareasborderingelds.Takeatleastvesurveysin
infestedareastoderiveanaveragenumberofgrasshopperspersquareyard,
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Differential grasshoppers.
Redlegged grasshopper. Red hind legs and
smaller overall size distinguish this
grasshopper from the differential.
withsurveyedareasatleast50feetapart.
Treatmentmaybejustiedifthereisanaverageof15ormorenymphs
oradultspersquareyardinnoncropeldmargins.Theeconomicthresh-
oldwithinthecorneldiseightormorenymphsoradultspersquareyard.
Donotmowgrassesineldbordersuntilgrasshoppersarecontrolled.
Beforespraying,checkforthenaturalsuppressionofgrasshopperpopula-
tionsbydiseases. Thepresenceofdeadgrasshoppersperchedhead-upat
thetopofplants,tightlygrippingthestems,isevidenceofafungal
Several grasshoppers feeding
on leaves. Unlike many
other insects, grasshoppers
are easily seen.
32
Severe grasshopper damage.
Outbreaks are more wide-
spread in dry years.
Female European corn borer moth and
egg mass at black head stage.
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Young European corn borer larva
in unrolled whorl leaves.
pathogen(Entomophaga grylli) favoredbywet,warmweatherinlatesummer.
Insomeyears,thisfungalpathogensignicantlyreduceslate-seasonpopula-
tions.
Cornborderingcropsthatpersistformorethanoneseason(suchas
alfalfa)aremorevulnerabletograsshopperinfestations.Dryconditionsare
conducivetooutbreaks,becausegrasshoppersmovereadilyfromdrought-
stressednaturalvegetationintomoresucculentcrops.Conversely,wetand
warmweatherpromotesgrasshoppermortalityfromnaturallyoccurringdis-
eases.
Distribution
Intilledelds,damagemaybeconnedtoafewcornrowsbordering
grassyorweedyeldmarginsorwaterways.Grasshopperinfestationsinno-
tillcornmaybemoreuniformlydistributedthroughouttheeldbecause
eggsweredepositedthepreviousseasoninundisturbedsoil.
Incidence
JunethroughearlySeptember
European Corn Borer
In a typical season in Missouri and Illinois, there are two generations of the
European corn borer in the northern halves of both states and a third generation in
the southern third of both states.
Overwinteringfull-grownlarvaeareapproximately1inchlongandoff-
whitetofadedgray.Adarkgraylinerunsdownthemiddleoftheback,and
thetopofeachabdominalsegmentismarkedwithtworound,darkspots
(tubercles).Femalemothshaveawingexpanseofabout1inchandarepale
yellowishbrownwithdarker,irregularbandsrunninginwavylinesacross
thewings;malesareslightlysmalleranddarker,witholive-brownmarkings
onthewings. Eggmassesareapproximately
1
4 inchindiameter,andthe
individual,attenedeggsoverlaplikeshscales.Eggsareinitiallywhitebut
turnyellowishwithcontinueddevelopmentandhatchwithin3to7days
(dependingontemperature).About1daybeforehatching,theblackheads
oftheyoungborersinsidethetranslucenteggshellsbecomevisible(black
headstage). Younglarvaehavedarkheadsandaredullwhitewithseveral
rowsofsmallbrownspots.Europeancornborerlarvaedevelopthrough
vestages;growthfromegghatchtopupationrequires29to33days,
dependingontemperature(Table1).
First generation: TheEuropeancornboreroverwintersasafull-grown,
fth-instarlarvainsidecornstalksandstubble.Whenspringtemperatures
exceed50degreesF,thelarvaebreakdiapause(suspendeddevelopment)and
pupate. Spring-ightfemalesemergeinlateMayandtypicallylaymassesof
15to20eggs. Thepreferredovipositionsiteisthelowertwo-thirdsofthe
cornleafnearthemidribontheundersideoftheleaves,especiallyonthe
lowerleavesofmid-tolatewhorlstagecorn.Thenewlyhatchedlarvaeini-
33
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European corn borer life stages and activities, based on
Accumulated
First occurrence of
(base 50
o
stage (or event) occurrence
a
Activity
0 First spring moth Mating and egg laying
First generation:
212 12.3 Pin hole leaf feeding
318 Second instar 5.1 Shot hole leaf feeding
435 Third instar 5.4 Midrib and stalk boring
b
567 Fourth instar 5.5 Stalk boring
792 Fifth instar 9.1 Stalk boring
1,002 Pupa 8.0 Changing to adult
1,192 Adult moths 6.6 Mating and egg laying
Second generation:
1,404
c
7.4 Pollen and leaf axil
feeding
1,510 Second instar 3.8 Leaf axil feeding
1,627 Third instar 4.2
midrib boring
1,759 Fourth instar 4.9 Stalk boring
b
1,984 Fifth instar 8.5 Stalk boring
European Corn Borer: Ecology and Management. North
Central Regional Extension Publication No. 327, by Charles E. Mason et al.,
1996.
a
stage since initiation of the previous stage listed, based on 30-year average
temperatures recorded in Columbia, Missouri.
b
mature plants.
c
Peak egg hatch occurs 10 days or approximately 200 to 250 degree-days

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Modied from
Table 1.
degree-days accumulated after appearance of rst spring moths.
degree-days Days to rst
F)
Egg hatch (rst instar)
Egg hatch (rst instar)
Sheath, collar, and
Published by Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Average number of days required to reach the rst occurrence of the
First-generation larvae bore into stalks earlier than second-generation lar-
vae because the younger stalks are more tender than those of older, more
later than rst hatch.
tiallyfeedonthesurfaceoftheleavesbeforemigratingdeepinsidethe
whorl. Firstandsecondinstarsremovemesophyllfromtheleavessothata
layeroftransparentepidermisremains,thuscreatingawindowpaneeffect.
Whenthesetender,newlydevelopingleavesgrowoutfromtheinfested
whorl,theyshowsignsoffeedingrangingfrompinholestothedistinctive
buckshotappearance. Asthelarvaegrow,theycrawloutofthewhorland
begintofeedonleafsheathsandtunnelintomidribs. Afterreachingthe
thirdinstar(approximately
1
2 inchinlength),larvaeboreintothestalks,
usuallyatoneofthelowernodes,andfeeduntilpupation. Frassandsilkat
entranceholessignalthepresenceofborersinsidethestalks.First-
generationlarvaepupateinearlyJulyandproduceadultsthatlaytheeggsof
thesecondgenerationinmid-July.
Windowpane feeding by
early instars of European
corn borer.
Buckshot damage by
Split stalks. Entry tunnel made by mid-
size European corn borer is visible (left).
As larva grows inside stalk, it excavates a
larger tunnel (right) which weakens the
stalk.
34
Classic signs of second-generation
European corn borer feeding. Look for
windowpanes, rounded holes, and frass
around the leaf collar area.
Shot-hole feeding damage and frass
made by young European corn borer
larva.
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Frass at European corn borers entry hole
into midrib. By the time the borer popula-
tion begins tunneling into the midrib or the
stalk, it is often too late to apply insecticide.
Second generation: Second-generationborerstypicallyinfesttasseling
andsilkingcorn.Eggmassesaverage20to30eggsforsecond(summer)
ightmoths. About90%ofeggmassesaredepositedonthelowertwo-
thirdsoftheundersidesofthethreeleavesaboveandbelowtheprimaryear,
ontheearhusk,andontheundersideoftheear(i.e.,withintheearzone).
Egglayingduringthesecond(summer)mothightnormallyoccursovera
3-to6-weekperiod,withpeakeggdeposition10daysafterthersteggsare
deposited.
Approximately75%ofthenewlyhatchedlarvaefeedonsheathandcollar
tissueandonpollenthathascollectedinleafaxils;theremaining25%move
totheear.Thirdinstarsfeedonsheathandcollartissueandtunnelinto
midribs. Thestalksofthemorematurecornaretoughertopenetratethan
thetenderstalksinfestedbyrst-generationborers.Bythefourthinstar,
themajorityoflarvaetunnelintothestalkwithinandabovetheearzone;
somewillcontinuetofeedintheearorboreintothetasselorearshank.
Duringthefthinstar,larvaepreparetoenterdiapause,orpupateand
becomemoths. Diapause,inducedbydaylengthandtemperature,prepares
thepopulationforsurvivalduringthewinter.
Third-generation larvae: Second-generation(thirdight)mothslay
eggstoproduceathirdgenerationinthesouthernportionsoftheCornBelt
(e.g.,theMissouriBootheel)eachseason. Theseeggsareusuallydeposited
ontasseledcornplantswhenthekernelshavenotmaturedbeyondthemilk
stage. FromSeptemberthroughfrost,thefull-grownlarvaeconstruct
imsy,silkencocoons,typicallyinsidethecornstalk,butoccasionallyunder
theleafsheaths. Thelarvaethenenterdiapauseandoverwinter.Therst
hardfreezekillslarvaethathavenotreachedthefthinstar.
Damage
Europeancornborerdamage(byrst-andsecond-generationlarvae)is
primarilyphysiologicalbecausetunnelingthroughtheconductivetissueof
thestalkdisruptsthecornplantsplumbing.Theplantsabilitytoproduce
maximumyieldisreducedbytheinterruptedtransportofnutrientsand
water.Lossesaremostlyduetopooreardevelopment;however,broken
stalksandlodging,droppedears,andsecondaryinvasionofstalkrotsinsus-
ceptiblevarietiesalsocontributetoreducedyield.
Signsofrst-generation Europeancornborerinfestationbeginatthe
mid-whorlstage:
Pinholeorwindowpanefeedingonleaves
Buckshotappearancewhenleavesgrowoutofinfestedwhorls
Brokenmidribsfromtunneling(latesecondandearlythirdinstars)
Frassatentryholes:afterreachingthethirdinstar,larvaeboreinto
stalks
Stalksbrokenatoneofthelowernodes
Signsofsecond-generation Europeancornborerinfestationbeginat
thetasselingstage:
Eggmasseslaidontheundersidesofleavesintheearzone
Frassorsmalllarvaeinthesheath,collartissue,andleafaxilsoftheear
zone
Brokenmidribsfromtunneling(thirdinstars)
Frassatentryholes:afterreachingthefourthinstar,larvaeboreinto
35
stalks(typicallyintheearzone),tassels,andearshanks
Brokenstalks(inandabovetheearzone)andtassels
Droppedearsfromshanktunneling
Feedingorskimmingonkernels
Management
Informationonscoutingproceduresandworksheetstoaidininsecticide
treatmentdecisionsareincludedintheAppendix(page48).Also
considercontrollingEuropeancornborerbyplantingtransgenicBthybrids
(withrefugesofnon-Btcorntomanageresistance).
AlthoughcornissusceptibletoEuropeancornborerinfestationafterthe
V6growthstage,spring-ightmothsaremoreattractedtotaller,early-
plantedcorn.Larvalsurvivalishigheronoldercornplantsatthemid-to
latewhorlstage(V8toV12)becauseoflowerconcentrationsoftheplant
compoundDIMBOA,abuilt-ininsecticidethatinterfereswiththesuc-
cessfuldevelopmentofEuropeancornborerlarvae.Summer-ightmoths
prefertodeposittheireggsduringpollenshedinlate-plantedeldswith
freshsilks.
Lowwindvelocityandhighhumidityarefavorableforegglayingby
mothsandforeggsurvival,becausetheseconditionsreducelossesfromdes-
iccation. Thecombinedeffectsofhightemperature,lowhumidity,and
highwindsincreaseeggandlarvalmortality.Heavyrainmayinhibitboth
eggdepositionandsurvivalofnewlyhatchedlarvae.Thesurvivalrateof
earlyinstarlarvaeaveragesabout20%,dependingonenvironmentalcondi-
tions,thecornstageinfested,andhybridresistance(torst-generation
attack).
Incidence
JunethroughearlyJuly(rst-generationlarvae)andmid-Julythrough
earlySeptember(second-generationlarvae)
Southwestern Corn Borer
The southwestern corn borer is primarily a pest of the southern Corn Belt and is
economically damaging in the Bootheel of Missouri and in the southern quarter of
Illinois.
Mothsaredullwhiteandhaveawingexpanseofapproximately1
1
4 moth.
inches. Fresheggsarewhiteandgenerallylaidingroupsoftwotove,
overlappingslightlylikeshscales.Althoughmosteggsarelaidonthe
upperleafsurface,theymayalsobedepositedonthelowerleafsurfaceand
occasionallyonthestalk. Within36hours,eacheggdevelopsthreetrans-
verseredbands;eggshatchin4to5days.Theredbarstagecanhelpdis-
tinguishEuropeancornborereggmassesfromthoseofthesouthwestern
cornborer.Thesummer-formlarvaisoff-white,witharegularpatternof T
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Numerous broken midribs. Leaves
appear snapped near the midpoint
as a consequence of midrib tunnel-
ing by second-generation European
corn borer.
Red bands are
unique to south-
western corn
borer eggs.
36
Southwestern corn borer lar-
vae. Summer form has black
spots (top); overwintering form
is immaculate, or spotless (bot-
tom).
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Windowpane feeding by southwestern
corn borer. Damage is more extensive
than the same type of whorl feeding by
blackspotsthatbecomeconspicuousbythethirdinstar.Thefull-grown
larvalosesitsspotsthroughamoltattheonsetofhibernation;thisuni-
formlypaleyellow,overwinteringlarvaisknownastheimmaculateform.
Full-grownlarvaeare1
1
4 incheslong.
Thesouthwesterncornboreroverwintersasanimmaculatelarvainthe
lowerpartofthestalk,belowgroundlevel.AfterpupationinlateMay,the
mothslayeggsthatproducetherstgenerationofborers.Larvaeinfesting
youngcornmovetotheinnerwhorl,wheretheirfeedingproducesextensive
shotholesandelongatedlesionsintheexpandingleaves. Likethe
Europeancornborer,thelasttwoinstarstunnelandfeedwithinthestalk.
Full-grownlarvaepupateandemergeasmothstolaytheeggsofthesecond
generationbeginninginJuly.
Althoughsouthwesterncornborereggsarelaidmostlyontheuppersur-
facesofleavesovertheentireplant,theyareconcentratedneartheearon
themiddlesevenleavesofthetasseledplant. Smalllarvaefeedprimarilyon
lowerearshoots(concealedbytheleafsheaths)andbetweenhusksofpri-
maryears.Half-grownlarvaetunnelwithinthelowerhalfofthestalk.
Full-grownlarvaetypicallytunneldownthestalktothebaseoftheplant
justbelowthesoillinebeginninginlateAugust. Theygirdletheinnerstalk2
to4inchesabovethebaseoftheplantwhileconstructingahibernationcell.
Thisgirdlingactivitycauseslodgingandstalkbreakage,resultingindirectear
losses. Cornisgenerallyharvestedbeforethegirdlingactivityofthethirdgen-
erationbegins.
Damage
Southwesterncornborerdamageisprimarilyduetotunnelingand
girdlingofthestalkbytherobustlarvae.Tunnelingthroughtheconductive
tissueofthestalkinterfereswiththetransportofnutrientsandwater,thus
impairingtheplantsabilitytoproducemaximumyield.Yieldlossesaredue
topooreardevelopmentandalsobrokenorlodgedstalksresultingfromthe
girdlingactivityofborerspreparingforwinter.Stalkgirdlingbeginsduring
thelastweekinAugustandislargelycompletedbymid-September.With
theexceptionofinnergirdlingofthelowerstalk,damageissimilartothat
ofEuropeancornborer(refertoDiagnostictips).
Signsofrst-generation southwesterncornborerinfestationbeginning
atthewhorlstage:
Elongatedstrippingorwindowpanefeedingofleaves
Buckshotappearancewhenleavesgrowoutofinfestedwhorls
Deadheart(deathofthegrowingpoint)
Frassatentryholesonthelowerpartofthestalk
Stalksbrokenatoneofthelowerinternodes
Signsofsecond- and third-generation southwesterncornborerinfesta-
tionbeginningatthetasselingstage:
Eggmasseslocatedmostlyneartheearonthemiddlesevenleaves
Frassorsmalllarvaeunderlowerleafsheathsandontheears
Frassatentryholesinthelowerhalfofthestalk
Stalkbreakagecausedbygirdlingoftheinnerstalk2to4inchesabove
thesoilline
37
Diagnostic tips
DamageissimilartothatoftheEuropeancornborer:whorlandleaf
feedingfollowedbystalktunnelingbythelasttwoinstars. However,
injurycausedbythetwospeciesofborersdiffersinthefollowingways:
Smallplantsunder16inchesarenotimmunetosouthwesterncorn
borerdamage.
Southwesterncornborerwindowpanefeedingisusuallymore
extensivethanthatoftheEuropeancornborer:elongatedstripsrun
paralleltoveins,leavingtheupperorlowerepidermisintact.
Southwesterncornborermaycausedeadheartinwhorlstagecornby
boringintothecentralpartofthestalk,destroyingthegrowingpoint.
Girdling by southwestern corn borer larva
Second-andthird-generationsouthwesterncornborerstunnelinthe preparing to overwinter. This type of dam-
lowerhalfofthestalk;second-generationEuropeancornborerstun- age is unique to southwestern corn borer
nelinthestalkwithinandabovetheearzone.
and frequently leads to stalk breakage.
Overwinteringsouthwesterncornborersgirdletheinnerstalk2to4
inchesabovegroundlevel,causingstalkbreakageandlodging.
Management
Earlyplantingofcornoftenminimizeslodginglosses,becausethe
cropmaybeharvestedbeginninginearlySeptember.Thisisbefore
mostsecond-generationsouthwesterncornborershavematuredtothe
prehibernationstagewhentheygirdlethelowerstalks.
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Theeconomicthresholdforrst-generationborersis20%to25%of
plantswithleaffeedingandlarvaeinthewhorls.
Theeconomicthresholdforsecond-generationborersis20%to25%
ofcornplantsinfestedwitheggsorsmalllarvae.
Control considerations
Controlsaregenerallyaimedatsecond-generationsouthwesterncorn
borers(becausetheirlate-seasongirdlingbehaviormayresultinsevere
yieldloss).
Thewindowfortreatmentisnarrowbecausemostlarvaebeginto
enterthestalk10to14daysafterhatching.
Theextendedightofmothslayingeggsofthesecondandthirdgenera-
tionslastsfromearlyJulythroughmid-August.Fullcontrolmightrequire
twoinsecticideapplicationsbecauseofthisprolongedegg-layingperiod.
ConsidertransgenicBthybridsthatprovideseason-longcontrolof
southwesterncornborer.PlantBthybridswithrefugesofnon-Btcorn
tomanageresistance.
Late-plantedcorneldsaremoresusceptibletodeadheartinjuryfrom
whorlfeedingbytherstgenerationandalsostalkgirdlingbythelatergen-
erationsofthesouthwesterncornborer.
Incidence
Scoutforrst-generationlarvaefromJunethroughearlyJuly,second-
generationlarvaefromJulythroughAugust,andthird-generationlarvae
frommid-Augusttoharvest.
38
Lodged plant. Corn may
grow upward in a gooseneck
shape to compensate for lack
of root support caused by corn
rootworm pruning.
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Split the stalk to identify the pest.
European corn borer is inside tunnel in
stalk.
SYMPTOMS
S ta lk s m a lfo rm e d
L o d g i n g o r g ro w i n g u p w a rd i n a g o o se n e ck sh a p e
A likely cause of lodging or goosenecking in continuous corn is
root pruning by corn rootworm larvae. Shallow rooting in wet or
loose soil or misapplication of the growth regulator herbicide 2,4-D
may also result in the gooseneck growth of cornstalks in any rota-
tion system, especially following periods of high winds. Although
2,4-D injury sometimes results in malformation of the brace roots, it
may still be advisable to dig up root masses of goosenecked plants
to eliminate shallow rooting as a cause and conrm the presence of
Corn rootworm larvae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 38
H o le s b o re d i n sta lk
A coil of frass may trail out from the entrance hole into the stalk.
The feeding cavity may be easily seen if the stalk is split, and often
the tunneling larva can be identied as
Stalk borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
European corn borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Corn Rootworms
Corn rootworm larvae are the most serious insect pests of continuous corn in the
Midwest, including Illinois, but they are not a major economic threat in Missouri
because of the small amount of continuous corn acreage. There are three species of
corn rootworms found in Missouri and Illinois. Although western and northern
corn rootworm larvae can both cause serious damage, the western corn rootworm is
the dominant species in both states.
Group of corn rootworm larvae.
Cornrootwormlarvaearewhitewithbrownheadsandslenderbodies.
Full-grownlarvaeareabout
1
2 inchlong,andthereisadarktailplateon
thetopoftheterminalsegment.Thesoutherncornrootwormisnotcon-
sideredaneconomicpestinmidwesterncornproduction.
Westernandnortherncornrootwormbeetlesare
1
4 inchlong,andsouth-
39
erncornrootwormbeetlesare
3
8 inchlong. Thecolorandmarkingsof
thesebeetlesvaryaccordingtothespecies:
Westerncornrootwormfemalesareyellowwiththreeblackstripes:
onestripeontheoutsideofeachwingcoverandoneinthemiddle
wherethewingcoversmeet. Onmales,thefrontofeachwingcover
issometimessolidblacksothatthestripesareobscuredandonlythe
tipsofthewingcoversareyellow.Thefemalebeetlesalsotendtobe
larger,especiallyastheyageandllwitheggs.
Northerncornrootwormbeetlesareuniformlygreentoyellowish
green,althoughnewlyemergedbeetlesarelighttan.
Southerncornrootwormbeetlesareyellowwith12distinctblack
spotsonthewingcovers. Theyaremostfrequentlypestsofcucurbits
andarealsoknownas12-spottedcucumberbeetles.
Westernandnortherncornrootwormshaveasimilarlifecycle.Both
haveasinglegenerationeachyear,andcornistheonlyeconomichost.
BeginninginJuly,femaleslayeggsinthesoilatadepthof2to4inches
nearthebaseofcornplants.Theeggsoverwinter,andtheonsetofhatch
rangesfromlateMay(southernandcentralIllinoisandMissouri)toearlyto
mid-June(northernIllinois).Peakhatchoccursapproximately7daysafter
therstrootwormlarvaearenoted.Temperatureandmoisturevarywith
soildepthandinuencebothoverwinteringsurvivalandtimeofhatch.
Rootwormlarvaefeedoncornrootsfor3to4weeks,passingthrough
threegrowthstages(instars).Thesecond-instarlarvaeareoftentherst
detected,becauserstinstarsareverysmall(only
1
16 inchlong)anddifcult
tosee. Maturelarvaepupateinearthencells.Adultsbeginemergingfrom
mid-June(southwesternMissouriandsouthernIllinois)toearlyJuly(north-
ernIllinois). Adultslivefor75to85days,feastingonfoliage,pollen,and
silks. Eggsarelaidinthesoilofcornelds,andegglayinglastsfor3to4
weeks.
Damage
Thefeedingofwesternandnortherncornrootwormlarvaeisgenerally
greatestonrootsnearthesoilsurface;whentheseareconsumed,thenext
lowernodeisattacked. Firstandsecondinstarsleavebrownfeedingscars
(lesions)astheytunnelfromroottipstotheplantbase,destroyingroot
hairsandsmallroots.Thirdinstarscausethemajorityofrootdamage,and
theygenerallyfeedonthelargerprimaryrootsnearthestalkandtherst
setofbraceroots.Pruningoftheroottipsmayresultinextensivebottle-
brushlateralrootregrowth.
The 1 to 6 root rating scale to assess the level of damage caused by
rootworm larvae (Iowa State University):
1 = no damage or only a few visible feeding scars
2 = some roots with feeding scars, but none pruned to within 1
1
2 inches of
the stalk
3 = at least one root pruned to within 1
1
2 inches of the stalk, but never an
entire node destroyed
4 = one node of roots destroyed (or the equivalent)
5 = two nodes of roots destroyed (or the equivalent)
6 = three or more nodes of roots destroyed
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Corn rootworm adults: southern (top),
northern (left), and western (right).
Several corn rootworm lar-
vae feeding on roots.
Comparison of normal and pruned root
systems. Damaged roots (on right) would
be rated as a 6 on the I owa State
University scale.
40
Generally,economicyieldlossoccurswhenrootratings(seetheIowa
StateUniversityscale)exceed3.0to3.5;lodgingmayoccuratrat-
ingsof4.0ormore.Therstindicationofrootworminjurymaybeinlate
JuneorearlyJulywhenplantsfalloverafterstrongwindsandheavyrainfall.
Yieldlossesdependonthenumberoflarvaeperplantandonplantmaturity,
soilfertility,andamountofmoisturefollowingpeakinjury,aswellasthe
abilityofthehybridtoregenerateroottissue.Droughtstressworsensthe
effectsofrootpruning.Conversely,infestedplantsmayseverelylodge
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(becausetheylackrootsupport)whenwindandrainstormsoccurnearthe
timeofpeaklarvalinjury.
Cornrootworminjuryresultsinyieldlossesinthefollowingways:
Rootpruningandtunnelingdisruptthetransportofnutrientsand
waterfromtherootsystem.
Lackofrootsupportcausesgoosenecklodging,whichmaycomplicate
harvesting.
Rootfeedingpromotesinvasionbysecondarypathogenssuchasbacte-
riaandfungi,increasingtheincidenceofrootrots.
Row of goosenecked corn.
Adultfeedingrarelyhasanimpactonyieldandconsistsof
Strippingoftheupperlayeroftissuefromtheleaves;morelikelyto
occuriftasselshavenotemergedandpollenisnotavailable
Silkclipping
Management
Annualcroprotationisthemostreliableandeconomicalmeansofman-
agingrootwormpopulationsthroughoutmostoftheCornBelt.Certain
populationsofnortherncornrootwormsinmorenorthernstatesmay
undergoextendeddiapause,inwhichtheeggsremaindormantinthesoil
fortwowintersbeforehatching.However,extendedeggdiapausedoesnot
currentlyoccurinMissouri.Inaddition,westerncornrootworminjuryto
rst-yearcornplantedaftersoybeanshasbeenreportedinareasofintense
corn/soybeanrotationineast-centralIllinois,northernIndiana,southern
Michigan,andwesternOhio.Researchsuggeststhatageneticvariantofthe
westerncornrootwormisselectingsoybeaneldsasanotheregg-layingsite
(inadditiontocorn).Despitetheseexceptions,croprotationstillprovides
themostconsistentcontrolofrootworminfestations.
Westernandnortherncornrootwormadultscanbecountedincornelds
inJulyandAugusttoassesstheneedforaninsecticideapplicationthenext
springineldswherecornwillbeplanted.Anaveragepopulationof0.75
ormorebeetlesperplantinlatesummerislikelytolayenougheggsto
causeaneconomiclarvalinfestationthefollowingseasonincontinuous
corn.
InareasoftheCornBeltwherewesterncornrootwormadultslayeggsin
soybeanelds,scoutingforadultsinsoybeansispossiblebyusingsweep
nets,visualobservations,oryellowstickycards.However,established
thresholdshavenotbeenveriedwithextensiveeldtesting,soscoutingfor
westerncornrootwormsinsoybeansusuallyrevealsonlypresenceor
absenceofthebeetles. Decision-makingthresholdsareunderdevelopment
andcanbeobtainedfromextensionspecialistsintheaffectedstates(Illinois,
Indiana,Michigan,Ohio).
InsomeareasofNebraska,thefocusofcornrootwormmanagementhas
41
beenthecontrolofadultstopreventegglaying.However,insecticidecon-
trolfailuresforadultwesterncornrootwormshavebeenontherisesince
themid-1990s. Resistancetomethylparathionandcarbarylinthewestern
cornrootwormbeetlepopulationhasoccurredwhereadulticideshave
beenappliedoverwideareasformanyyears.
Controlofadultsforsilkclippingisrarelynecessaryunlessgreensilks
arebeingclippedbackto
1
2 inchorlessbefore50%pollenshed.
Therearenoconsistentlyreliablescoutingmethodstomonitorcorn
rootwormlarvae.However,aninsecticidetreatmentduringcultivationmay
bejustiediftwoormorelarvaeperrootmassarecountedina7-inchcube
ofsoilsampledfromuntreatedeldsinearlyJune.Althoughsuchrescue
treatmentsaregenerallyequalto,ormoreeffectivethan,planting-time
insecticideapplications,timingiscritical.
Cornplantedaftercornismostsusceptibletoinjurybycornrootworms,
withtwoexceptions:
areasineast-centralIllinois,northernIndiana,southernMichigan,
andwesternOhiowherewesterncornrootwormslayeggsinsoybeans
areaswhereextendeddiapauseinnortherncornrootwormsoccurs
Inaddition,theperformanceofsoilinsecticidesisreducedwhencorn
plantinginearlytomid-Aprilisfollowedbycool,wetweatherthatdelays
rootwormegghatch.
Thechancesforadultsilkfeedingandegglayingareincreasedinlate-
plantedcornbecausesucheldsarelikelytopollinatelaterandattractmore
migratingrootwormbeetles.
Incidence
EarlyJunethroughJuly(larvae)andlateJunethroughAugust(adults).
V T to R 6 )
42
T a sse li n g to co rn m a tu ri ty
OVERVIEW
A t th i s g ro w th sta g e lo o k fo r:
L e a f ti ssu e re m o v e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p a g e s 4 2 , 4 3
chunks of leaf tissue removed
small circular holes or elongated lesions
S ta lk s m a lfo rm e d o r b ro k e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
lodging (goosenecking)
stalk breakage
T a sse ls d a m a g e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3
tassel broken
tassel eaten in whorl
tassel discolored
S i lk s cli p p e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5
E a r d a m a g e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 7
chunks of kernels removed
tunneling or chewing damage
ear drop
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SYMPTOMS
C h u n k s o f p la n t ti ssu e re m o v e d fro m le a f m a rg i n s, o r ra g g e d h o le s
i n le a v e s
Armyworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 26
Late-season damage not common.
Grasshopper damage. Large, irregular
Fall armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
chunks of leaf tissue are removed to the
Damage seen more frequently in late whorl stage corn.
midrib as grasshoppers feed.
Grasshoppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Serious only if large amounts of foliage are consumed
above the ear leaf.
(More leaf tissue removed symptoms on page 43)
TASSELING TO CORN MATURITY (VT TO R6)
43
(Leaf tissue removed symptoms continued from page 42)
SYMPTOMS
S m a ll, ci rcu la r h o le s o r e lo n g a te d le si o n s i n le a v e s
European corn borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 32
Feeding of young, second-generation larvae may produce
holes (and occasionally lesions) in the collar area of leaves
Damage to leaves in the
in the ear zone.
ear zone by European
corn borer.
Corn rootworm beetles (especially western) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Beetles may occasionally strip the upper, green tissue from
leaves when pollen is unavailable.
S ta lk s m a lfo rm e d o r b ro k e n
L o d g i n g o r g ro w i n g u p w a rd i n a g o o se n e ck sh a p e
Corn rootworm larvae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
S ta lk s b ro k e n
Goosenecking caused by
Stalks mainly broken at the base of the plant.
corn rootworm feeding.
T a sse ls d a m a g e d
T a sse ls b ro k e n
T a sse ls e a te n i n w h o rl)
Fall armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Stalk breakage due to girdling near
T a sse ls d i sco lo re d
ground by southwestern corn borer.
Corn leaf aphid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
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Tassel eaten in
whorl by fall army-
worm. Reddish pel-
lets are frass.
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Corn leaf aphids. Refer
to diagnostic tips for
help in distinguishing
them from other aphids
in corn.
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Large colony of corn leaf
aphids. Tan ones are aphid
mummies; white cast skins
are also visible.
Corn Leaf Aphid
Small,blue-green,soft-bodiedcornleafaphidsmaycolonizethetassels
andupperleavesofthecornplant.Theseglobularinsectsareabout
1
16 inch
longwithblackantennae,legs,andtailpipes(cornicles).Femaleaphids
donotlayeggsduringthegrowingseasonasotherinsectsdo,butgivebirth
toliveyoung. Therefore,populationscanquicklyreacheconomicallydam-
aginglevels. Individualsfoundinthespringarewinglessfemales.
However,aspopulationsincreaseduringthegrowingseason,winged
femalesareproduced;thesemobilefemalesdispersetolesscrowdedsites
andbeginnewcolonies. Exceptfortheirsmallersize,thenymphsaresimi-
lartothewinglessadults.
Aphidsmigratefromthesouthandproduceasmanyas10generations
eachyearinMissouriandIllinois. Cornleafaphidssuckplantnutrients
fromthephloemtissue,andexcessuidconsumedbytheaphidsisexcreted
asasugary,stickysubstancecalledhoneydew.Cornleafaphidpopulations
mayreachapeakinthewhorljustbeforethetasselingstageandlaterinfest
thetassel,upperleaves,andear.
Diagnostic tips
Cornleafaphidssometimescoexistonthesameplantasgreenbugs.
Greenbugsarelight,dusty-greenaphidswithadarkergreenstripeonthe
back,andonlythetipsofthecorniclesandlegsareblack.Birdcherry-
oataphids,occasionallyfoundincornelds,areadarkerolive-greenwith
arusty-redareabetweenthecornicles.
Damage
Heavyinfestationsofcornleafaphidscauseyellowmottling,wilting,and
curlingofleaves.Themostseriousinjurytocornoccursbeforepollination
iscomplete. Incompletekernelformation,smallerears,andsometimeseven
barrenplantsmayresultfromheavywhorlfeeding2to3weeksbeforetassel
emergence.Later,cornleafaphidsmayswarmoverthetasselandupper
leaves,coatingthesurfacewithhoneydewandnumerouswhitecastskins
shedfrommolting.Inrarecases,tasselsandsometimessilksbecomeso
heavilycoatedwithhoneydewthatpollinationisdisrupted.Honeydewmay
eventuallyturndark,asthehighsugarcontentcreatesafavorablesubstrate
forsootymolds. Injurysymptomsaremorepronouncedwhencornis
moisture-stressed.Thecornleafaphidcantransmitbarleyyellowdwarf
virusandisalsoasuspectedcarrierofmaizedwarfmosaicvirus(expressed
asmarginalcornleafnecrosis).
Management
Aninsecticideapplicationmaybejustifiedifthefollowingconditions
aremet:
Atleast50%ofthetasselsarecoatedwithmorethan50aphids
Infestationoccursduringpollenshedbeforepollinationishalfcom-
pleted
Cornisunderdroughtstress
Moisture-stressedplantsmaystillsufferyieldlossafterpollinationifthe
45
upperleavesandtasselsremainheavilyinfestedwithcornleafaphids.
Insecticidalcontrolmaybeunnecessary,however,iflightbrown,parasitized
aphidmummiesandnumerouspredators(ladybeetlesandlacewing)are
present.
Late-plantedcorneldsaremostsusceptibletocornleafaphiddamage.
Incidence
Mid-Junethroughmid-August
SYMPTOMS
S i lk s cli p p e d
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Several insects feed on green silks and clip them off before polli-
nation is complete, causing some ears to ll only partially.
However, control of insects for silk clipping is rarely necessary
unless green silks are continuously clipped back to
1
2 inch or less
before pollination is half complete. (Pollination has occurred when
silks are turning brown and curling at the tips.)
Grasshoppers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 31
Although grasshoppers readily consume foliage, they pre-
fer to clip silks and chew on kernels during the early repro-
ductive stages of corn.
Missing kernels due to incom-
plete pollination, caused by
Corn rootworm beetles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
clipped silks.
Look for clipped green silks.
Corn earworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Look for moist, light brown frass lodged in silks near the
ear tip.
Japanese beetle
In eastern Illinois, large numbers of Japanese beetles (ve
or more per plant) may clip enough silks to prevent proper
pollination.
Yellow woollybear
Larvae clip silks, especially if owering is delayed.
However, yellow woollybears tend to move readily from
plant to plant, reducing their impact on pollination.
46
Corn earworm eggs on corn
silk.
Two color variations of corn earworm lar-
vae.
Corn earworm larva.
Five oclock shadow is vis-
ible above white band.
Close-up (right) reveals
black microspines.
Corn earworm
damage.
Generally, feeding
is concentrated
near the ear tip.
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Corn Earworm
Although the corn earworm (also known as cotton bollworm, sorghum head-
worm, and soybean podworm) infests more than 100 species of plants, corn is the
preferred host.
Mothshavebuff-coloredwingswithirregularmarkingsandawingspan
of1
1
2 inches. Eggsareribbedandhemisphericalandapproximatelythe
samecoloranddiameterasanindividualsilk. Larvaeareextremelyvariable
incolor,rangingfromlightgreentopink,butalllarvaehaveatanheadand
alternatingdarkandlightstripesonthebody.Thelarvaehavenumerous
darkspots(tubercles)withlongspines.Cornearwormcanbedistinguished
fromotherlarvaebytiny,thornlikeprojectionscalledmicrospinesthatgive
abristlyappearancewhenviewedunder10xmagnication.Larvaepass
throughvegrowthstagesandare1
1
2 incheslongwhenfull-grown.
CornearwormpopulationsintheMidwestmostlyarisefromspringmigra-
tionfromsouthernstates,althoughpupaemaysuccessfullyoverwinterinsouth-
easternMissouriandsouthernIllinois.Althoughmigratoryightstrickleinas
earlyasmid-AprilintheMissouriBootheel,thecornearwormarrivesinforce
bymid-June. TherearetwoorthreegenerationsinMissouriandIllinois.
Therst-generationlarvaesometimesinfestthewhorlsifsilkingcornis
unavailable. Mothsthatlaytheeggsofthesecondgenerationarehighly
attractedtofresh,greensilks.Eggsaredepositedindividually,andthe
newlyhatched,pale-yellowlarvaetunnelthroughthesilkchanneltothe
developingear.Larvaefeedforabout2to3weeks,consumingkernelsat
thetipandalongthesideoftheear.Unlikethefallarmyworm,cornear-
wormdoesnotboreanentranceholethroughthehusk,butdoessometimes
leaveanemergenceholeasthefull-grownlarvapreparestopupateinthe
soil. Third-generationlarvaemayattackverylate-plantedcornbutare
morelikelytodeveloponsorghum,soybeans,orcotton(dependingonthe
location)ascornsilksturnbrownanddry.Becausethespeciesiscannibalis-
tic,onlyonecornearwormtypicallydevelopsineachinfestedearorwhorl.
Diagnostic tips
Usea10xhandlenstodistinguishcornearwormsfromotherstriped
larvaeinfestingcorn.Thedensecoveringofmicrospinesalongtheback
andsidesofthecornearwormisuniquetothisspecies.Microspines
showupundermagnicationasdark,shortbristlesthatresembleave
oclockshadow.Inaddition,thecornearwormusuallyfeedsattheear
tip;fallarmywormandEuropeancornborertypicallyfeedonthesidesof
theearbelowthetip.
Damage
Whorlfeedingappearsasraggedholesintheleavesastheyunfurl;moist,
tanfrassisfoundinsidethewhorl. Cornearwormprefersthedeveloping
earsduringthesilkingperiod,anddamageismostlyconnedtotheeartip.
Moist,lighttanfrassisalsolodgedinthesilksattheeartip. Silksareoften
clippedaslarvaetunnelintotheear.Theearwillhaveanincompletekernel
setifthesilksaredestroyedbeforepollinationiscomplete.Earmolds
developinginthedamagedkernelsmaycausetoxicityproblemsinlivestock.
47
Management
Althoughamajorityoftheearsmaycontainanearworm,insecticide
applicationisimpracticalforeldcorn.Controlisdifcultbecauseeggsare
laidonemergingsilks,onwhichaprotectiveinsecticidecoatingcannotbe
maintainedunlessspraysareappliedevery2to3days.Controlmaybeeco-
nomicallyjustiedinsweetcornorinlate-maturingseedproductionelds
whilefreshsilksarepresent.
Anycorneldwithfreshsilksactsasamagnetforegg-layingcornear-
wormmoths,especiallyduringstrongmigratoryights.Early-plantedcorn
ismorelikelytoescapeinjuryifsilkingiscompletedbeforecornearworm
populationspeak. However,inmostyears,cornearwormlarvaeconsis-
tentlyremovetheir2%to3%taxfromthemajorityoftheeartips,
regardlessofplantingdate.
Incidence
Mid-JunethroughAugust
SYMPTOMS
E a r d a m a g e
L a rg e ch u n k s o f k e rn e ls re m o v e d , o fte n a t b li ste r a n d m i lk sta g e s
Grasshoppers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 31
Often damage ear tips and shucks
T u n n e li n g o r ch e w i n g d a m a g e
Fall armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Corn earworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
E a r d ro p
Ear loss due to shank tunneling.

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Ear damage by grasshoppers (top),
European corn borer (above), and fall
armyworm (left). European corn borer
tunneling inside shank (far left) can lead
to ear loss before harvest.
48
Appendix
Management of the European Corn Borer
Management
Thefollowinginformationisrequiredwhendecidingwhetheritwillbeprof-
itabletotreataeldinfestedwithEuropeancornborerlarvae:
Cornstage
Expectedyield
Expectedmarketprice
Costofcontrol(insecticideplusapplicationcosts)
Estimatedpercentcontrol
Averagenumberoflarvaeperplant(rstgeneration)
Averagenumberofeggmassesperplant(secondgeneration) Scouting whorl-stage corn for rst-
Scouting for rst-generation European corn borer
generation European corn borer.
Scoutingshouldbegin200degree-days(typically11to12days)aftertherstspringmothhasbeendetectedinblack-
lightorpheromonetraps.Plantoscoutcorneldsatleastonceaweekfor3to4weeksafterpeakmothight(oftenearly
Juneinmid-Missouritomid-JuneinnorthernIllinois).Concentraterstontheearliestplanted(tallest)eldsinthearea.
Scouting procedure
1) Examineaminimumof50plants(10plantsateachofveeldstops)forthepresenceoflarvae.
2) Pullwhorlsfromplantsandunrollleavestocountliveborers.Randomlyselectplantstoavoidsamplingonly plants
thatshowlarvaldamage.
3) Dividetotalnumberoflarvaefoundbynumberofwhorlsexaminedtodetermineaveragenumberofborersper
plant. (Donotcountlarvaethathaveboredintoplants.)
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4) Refertothemanagementworksheetforrst-generationEuropeancornborer.
Scouting for second-generation European corn borer
Startcheckingforeggmasses,notfeedingdamage,whenmothightbegins(usuallymid-July
incentralMissouriandIllinois). Assumethategglayinghasbegunwhentherstmothsare
eithercollectedinpheromoneorblacklighttrapsorushedfromdenseareasofvegetationsur-
roundingcornelds.Scouteldsatleastonceaweekandcontinuescoutingthroughouttheegg-
layingperiod,whichcanextendfor3to6weeks. Concentrateinitialscoutingeffortsin
late-plantedcornwheretheprobabilityofaneconomicinfestationisgreatest.
European corn borer egg
mass.
Scouting procedure
1) Examineaminimumof100plants(20plantsinvelocations).
2) Checkundersidesofleavesintheearzone(i.e.,middlesevenleavesoftheplant)foreggmasses.
3) Ifonlytheearzonewasexamined,dividetheeggcountby0.91toadjustforeggmasseslaidelsewhere.
4) Refertothemanagementworksheetforsecond-generationEuropeancornborer.
Control considerations
ConsidertransgenicBthybrids(plantedwithrefugesofnon-Btcorntomanageresistance).
Ifmothcapturedataisavailable,asingletreatmentisbestappliedjustafterpeakmothight.
Ifpossible,avoidmakingatreatmentdecisionuntilthemajorityoflarvaehavereachedthesecondinstar(
3
16 inch
long,or4to5daysaftermosteggshavehatched).
Larvae cannot be controlled by insecticides once they begin to bore into the stalks (about 10 to 13 days after hatching).
Second generation
Egglayingofthesecond-ightmothsoccursoverapproximately3to6weeks,sogoodcontrolofsecond-generation
borersmayrequiretwotreatments:
Firstinsecticidetreatmentat10%pollenshed
Secondinsecticidetreatment7to10daysafterrsttreatment
Usethemanagementworksheettodeterminewhethermultipleinsecticidetreatmentsareexpectedtoyieldaneco-
nomicreturn.
49
First-generation European corn borer management worksheet
$
$
Larvaefound
$
$
expectedsurvival
1,2

$
$
$
survivinglarvae
Survivinglarvae plantsexamined larvae/plant
Larvae/plant yieldloss/larva
3
yieldloss
Yieldloss expectedyield(bu/A) loss(bu/A)
Loss(bu/A) price/bu loss/A
Loss/A control
4
preventableloss/A
Preventableloss/A costofcontrol/A gain(+)orloss(-)per
acreifcontrolapplied
Notes:
1
Recordallpercentagesasdecimals(e.g.,20%=0.2).
2
Iflarvaearenewlyhatched(rstinstar),itislikelythatonlyabout20%willsurvivetomaturity,dependingonenvironmental
stresses. Iflarvaearesecondinstar(about
3
16 inch)orlarger,thesurvivalratemayincreaseto50%.Adjustthisnumberaccordingly.
3
Use0.06forV10corn,or0.05forV16(greentassel)corn.Whenborernumbersreachorexceedthreeperplant,thelosscaused
byeachadditionalborerwilldecrease.Therefore,use0.035lossperborerforeachadditionalborerabovethreeperplant.
4
80%controlwithgranules(aerialorgroundapplication)andwithspraysdirectedoverthewhorls(groundapplication);themore
effectiveinsecticidesprovidecomparablecontrolwhenappliedasbroadcastsprays(aerialapplication).
Sample worksheet completed for rst-generation European corn borer
2 2 5 Larvaefound ___0 . 4 ____ expectedsurvival
1,2
9 0 __ survivinglarvae
9 0 _ Survivinglarvae 5 0 __ plantsexamined 1 . 8 _ larvae/plant
1 . 8 _ Larvae/plant 0 . 0 6 _ yieldloss/larva
3
0 . 1 0 8 yieldloss
0 . 1 0 8 _ Yieldloss 1 4 0 _ expectedyield(bu/A) 1 5 . 1 2 loss(bu/A)
1 5 . 1 2 _ Loss(bu/A) $ 2 . 5 0 price/bu $ 3 7 . 8 0 loss/A
$ 3 7 . 8 0 Loss/A 0 . 8 control
4
$ 3 0 . 2 4 preventableloss/A
$ 3 0 . 2 4 Preventableloss/A $ 1 4 . 0 0 _ costofcontrol/A $ 1 6 . 2 4 _ gain(+)orloss(-)
peracreifcontrolapplied
50
Second-generation European corn borer management worksheet
$
$
Eggmassesfound
1

0.91
(ifonlyearzonesampled)
$
$
$
adjustedeggmasses
Adjustedeggmasses plantsexamined eggmasses/plant
Eggmasses/plant
4
larvae/eggmass
2
larvae/plant
Larvae/plant
$
yieldloss/larva
3,4
yieldloss
Yieldloss expectedyield(bu/A) loss(bu/A)
Loss(bu/A) price/bu loss/A
Loss/A
0.75
control preventableloss/A
Preventableloss/A $ costofcontrol/A gain(+)orloss(-)per
acreifcontrolapplied
Notes:
1
Countsmaybecumulativeiftakenafewdaysapart.
2
Fourlarvae/eggmassassumes20%survivalof20eggs/mass;increaseifenvironmentalconditionsarefavorableforborersurvival.
3
Recordallpercentagesasdecimals(e.g.,20%=0.2).
4
Yieldlossperborerperplantattwocornstages:
Averagenumberofeggmasses Pollenshed Blisterstage
Twoorfewerperplant 0.04 0.03
Morethantwoperplant 0.03 0.02
Asplantsmaturebeyondtheblisterstage,theeconomicbenetsoftreatmentrapidlydecrease.
Index of insect pests
Armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 26
Billbugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Black cutworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chinch bug. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Corn earworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Corn flea beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Corn leaf aphid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Corn rootworms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Cutworms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 16, 20
European corn borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Fall armyworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Grape colaspis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Grasshoppers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Vegetative growth stages
VE Emergence (coleoptile above soil)
Japanese beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 45
Leafrollers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Seedcorn beetles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Seedcorn maggot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sod webworm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Southern corn leaf beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Southwestern corn borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Stalk borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Stink bugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Thrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
White grubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Wireworms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Yellow woollybear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Corn growth stages
V1 First leaf fully emerged (collar visible) from the whorl
V2 Second leaf fully emerged (collar visible) from the whorl
V3 Third leaf fully emerged (collar visible) from the whorl
V(n) n
th
leaf fully emerged (collar visible) from the whorl
VT Tasseling
Reproductive growth stages
R1 Silking; fresh green silks
R2 Blister; visible blisters with abundant fluid
R3 Milk; kernels with milky white fluid
R4 Dough; semisolid kernels with no visible denting
R5 Dent; majority of kernels dented or denting
R6 Physiological maturity; black layer formed
Symbols used in this guide
Planting to full emergence
(up to V2)
Emergence to knee-high
corn (VE to V8)
Knee-high to tasseling corn
(V8 to VT)
Tasseling to corn maturity
(VT to R6)
Glossary
Coleoptile: The first spiking corn leaf, forming a pro-
tective sheath around the embryonic plant.
Cornicles: A pair of tubular structures located on the top
side of the posterior end of aphids.
Diapause: A period of suspended growth and development
that occurs at one stage in the life cycle of some insects
(e.g., European corn borer larvae overwinter as diapaus-
ing fifth instars).
Economic injury level: Lowest pest density that can cause
enough economic damage to justify the cost of control.
Economic threshold: Pest density at which control action
should be taken to prevent a pest population from reach-
ing the economic injury level.
Frass: Solid waste excreted by insects, often containing
plant fragments.
Instar: The insect between successive molts, the first
instar being between egg hatch and the first molt.
Raster: An area of definitely arranged hairs and spines on
the bottom surface of the last abdominal segment of the
larvae of scarab beetles (white grubs).
Suture: A groove or seam in the body wall of insects, indi-
cating the division of distinct parts.
Tiller: A shoot or sucker arising from the base of the stalk
of a corn plant.
Transgenic Bt hybrid: Corn hybrid genetically altered by
insertion of DNA from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a natu-
rally occurring soil bacterium that produces a protein
toxic to lepidopterous larvae (e.g., European corn borer
and southwestern corn borer).
Tubercles: Small rounded and knoblike protuberances on
the bodies of caterpillars; patterns useful for identifica-
tion (e.g., of cutworm species).
OUTREACH & EXTENSION
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
COLUMBIA
$8.00
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of M ay 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the
United States Department of Agriculture. Ronald J. Turner, Director, Cooperative Extension, University of M issouri
and Lincoln University, Columbia, M O 65211. University Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or status as a Vietnam era veteran in employment or programs.
If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and need this publication in an
alternative format, write ADA O fficer, Extension and Agricultural Information, 1-98 Agriculture Building, Columbia,
M O 65211, or call ( 573) 882-7216. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.
Manual 166 New 7/98/10M

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