Kansas State University

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Extension Entomology

Tag: greenbugs

Wheat Update

–by Dr. Jeff Whitworth and Dr. Holly Schwarting

Received a report from north central Kansas about a small wheat field infested with ca. 20 aphids/tiller, but the aphids weren’t identified.  All wheat fields we visited in the last week had aphids, including bird cherry-oat, English grain, and/or greenbugs.  However, we were only finding about 1/10 plants or less and beneficials (lady beetles, lacewings, and parasitic wasp activity) were present in all of these fields.  Most wheat averaged Feekes 6-8 and no other pests really have been noted.

Sorghum Pest Update

–by Dr. Jeff Whitworth and Dr. Holly Schwarting

Aphids are becoming easier to find in sorghum fields throughout south central and north central Kansas.  However, they are a mixture of greenbugs, corn leaf aphids, yellow sugarcane aphids and the new-to-Kansas sugarcane aphid.

aphid species

Probably the easiest way to find aphids is to look for the shiny/wet looking leaves and then examine the undersides of the leaves immediately above the ‘wet’ leaves.  This is the honeydew produced by a colony of aphids.

honeydew

 

Headworms are still very common throughout north central and south central Kansas.  There are all stages present, but remember the sorghum is vulnerable from flowering to soft dough.  These headworms may cause up to 5% loss/worm/head throughout the approximately two weeks that they are feeding directly on the grain.

sorghum headworm in berry

 

Wheat – Aphids

—by Dr. Jeff Whitworth – Dr. Holly Schwarting – J.R. Ewing and Salehe Abbar & Dr. Brian McCornack

Wheat aphids, primarily greenbugs, but bird cherry oat and English grain aphids as well, continue to migrate into wheat fields all over the state. However, there are increasing numbers of lady beetles and parasitic wasps (see photo of mummy). Hopefully these beneficials will keep these aphids well below treatment thresholds.

Screen Shot 2015-05-02 at 9.46.18 AM

More information about greenbug identification,  current management recommendations, or their natural enemies can be found on the myFields.info website (www.myfields.info).