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Extension Entomology

Tag: egg hatch

Alfalfa Weevil Update

— by Dr. Jeff Whitworth and Dr. Holly Schwarting

Alfalfa weevils are very active in south central and north central Kansas. We sampled many fields from 14 to 17 March and found small to medium sized (1st and 2nd instar) larvae in every field. Infestation levels ranged from 30% to 100+%.

AW early instar

Cooler weather over the next three days should slow down egg hatch and larval feeding activity. However, it does not look like the predicted low temperatures will be cold enough to harm either plants or weevils. Then, with the return of warmer than normal temperatures next week, the weevils will again become very active. Thus, if the winds are calm enough and fields are at or greater than 30% infested, next week seems like the ideal time to treat for alfalfa weevils. Only pinprick holes in leaves and a little feeding on terminals is evident so far. This, however, will quickly change if weevils are allowed to feed in 65+°F temperatures.

AW feeding

 

 

Rose Sawflies

–by Raymond Cloyd

There are at least two species of sawflies that attack roses during this time of year; the rose slug (Endelomyia aethiops) and bristly rose slug (Cladius difformis). Rose slugs are the immature (larval) stage of sawflies, which are black to yellow-colored wasps.

Rose sawfly females make pockets or slits along the edges of rose leaves using their saw-like ovipositor (egg-laying devise), and insert individual eggs. Eggs hatch into larvae that look-like a slug. Larvae are 1.2 cm in length when fully grown and yellow-green in color, with an orange head (Figure 1). The larvae eventually fall on the soil surface to

Figure1RoseSawflyLarvaeFeedingOnLeafUnderside

pupate. Rose slugs overwinter as pupae in earthen cells created by the larvae. There is usually one generation per year in Kansas. Bristly rose slug larvae are pale-green in color and 1.5 to nearly 2.0 cm long. The body is covered with numerous bristle-like hairs (Figure 2). There is generally one generation per year in Kansas.

Figure2BristlyRoseSlugLarvaeFeedingOnLeafUnderside

 

Rose slug larvae feed on the underside of the leaf resulting in the leaves having a skeletonized appearance (Figure 3), eventually they create notches or holes on the leaf margins. Bristly rose slug larvae feed on the leaf undersides and also cause leaves to appear skeletonized (Figure 4). However, the larvae may chew larger holes than the rose slug.

Figure3FeedingDamageCausedByRoseSawflyLarvae

Small infestations of either the rose sawfly or bristly rose slug can be removed by hand and subsequently placed into a container of soapy water. A forceful water spray will quickly dislodge sawfly larvae from rose plants; consequently, sawfly larvae are not able to crawl back onto rose plants. A number of contact insecticides (various active ingredients) may be effective in suppressing populations of both sawflies. However, the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (sold as Dipel or Thuricide) will have no activity on sawflies as this compound only works on caterpillars.

Figure4FeedingDamageCausedByBristlyRoseSlugLarvae

 

 

Feeding Capabilities/Capacities of Caterpillars – Useful Information for Bagworm Control

–by Dr. Bob Bauernfeind

The following basic developmental sequence is applicable to caterpillars regardless their species.

Beginning at egg hatch as a 1st instar larva, a caterpillar progresses through a series of developmental instars until such time it has matured, after which it ceases feeding when ready to transform into its pupal stage. In this sequence as determined under controlled conditions, the variegated cutworm consumed 442.2 mg of artificial diet. Only a small portion (27%) of the diet was consumed through the first 6 instars. In real situations where larvae feed on plant foliage, “nibblings” go unnoticed and are inconsequential. People usually first become aware of the presence of foraging caterpillars as foliage rapidly disappears when caterpillars ravenously feed midway-towards-the-end of their final “chow hound” instar. The last instar consumed 73% of the total diet.

4-VCUT DEV - jpg

How can this information be applied to bagworm control? In the following sequence, in Weeks 1 – 5, under the green “safe” line, bags and bagworms are small. At 6 and 7 weeks, they become larger but remain under the yellow “still safe” line. Beginning at weeks 8 and 9, we have the orangish “amber alert” line. To this point, ALL ARE NIBBLERS! In weeks 10 and 11, we are under the red “danger” line as the bagworms now are into their “CHOWHOUND MODE”!

5-bagworm sequance.jpg

When bagworms hatch in any given year, the hatching period occurs over a 4 to 5 week period typically beginning in mid-to late May. While it is informative to know when bagworm activities begin, that should not signal the beginning of automatic weekly spray treatments. Rather, a single thorough treatment (with a contact insecticide) applied at the end of June into the first 10-14 days of July should suffice. I enlarged and bolded thorough to emphasize the importance of not merely hastily-applying a light spritzy/misty spray treatment. While such might eliminate bagworms on the periphery of a tree/shrub, bagworm populations located in the more dense inner regions will be least affected. And as insecticide residues dissipate/degrade on the outer foliage, the unaffected bagworms will eventually move out and feed unfettered.

Comes the question regarding product/insecticide-of-choice. Currently in Kansas, there are 400+ products registered for use on bagworms. I personally do not recommend any one product over another. Use any contact insecticide (locally available through retail outlets) with bagworms listed on the product label. Based upon my experiences/trials (the first dating back to 1989), I achieved near-equally effective kill against late-instar bagworms using discontinued active ingredients (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dimethoate, parathion) as well as currently available acephate, bifenthrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, gamma-cyhalothrin, malathion, permethrin, spinosad and trichlorfon. Reemphasizing: what is critical/key is not the active ingredient but rather (again) THOROUGH COVERAGE of the ENTIRE tree/shrub!