For the past 10 years, Penn State Extension has been using pheromone traps (Figure 1) to monitor populations of black cutworm moths that are arriving in the Commonwealth, and we are doing so again in 2022. The population-level information that comes from trapping arriving moths is useful for predicting when the cutting behavior of black cutworm caterpillars will likely occur in corn fields and when scouting for this damage should occur. Some of our traps have been deployed since late March, and in some areas, we have been trapping a seemingly high number of moths so far, particularly in Lebanon County. The risk posed by these early fliers is unclear because of recent cool temperatures which are not suitable for egg hatch or caterpillar development, and because their development may not match well with vulnerable stages of corn growth
Research has clearly shown that scouting to find cut plants and applying rescue treatments if necessary is the most efficient and economical way to control black cutworm populations. Nevertheless, many farmers apply insecticides early in spring, often mixed with their herbicides, to target black cutworm, but these blind efforts are usually wasted because they are not timed with arrival of moths or caterpillar activity.
When moth populations arrive in significant numbers, we should detect them with our Black Cutworm Monitoring Network. This network will be staffed by Penn State Extension educators and a few high school agricultural teachers. All together, we will be monitoring about 25 pheromone traps across the state. We will let folks know via this newsletter the status of arriving populations, when caterpillars should be active, and the corresponding time to scout fields for damage.
Source : psu.edu