— by Dr. Jeff Whitworth and Dr. Holly Davis
The first western corn rootworm (WCR) adults were observed on 12 June from north central Kansas. There are still larvae feeding on roots but most are/have pupated and adults are emerging from soil.
None of the corn sampled in north central Kanas has tasseled or started silking yet. Thus, these adult WCRs are feeding on leaf tissue in the early morning or early evening and resting in shady places during the hottest part of the day.
A great example of WCR larval root pruning is seen in this picture compared to a non-infested root system.
