- Author: Rachael Long
- Author: Ian Grettenberger
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
Many splotches on your windshield? You are not alone.
Summertime brings various worm pests, including beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) and western yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera praefica), and alfalfa caterpillars (Colias eurytheme). Armyworms are larvae of moths while alfalfa caterpillars are larvae of the pretty white and yellow butterflies (aka. sulphur butterfly), that we see flying around alfalfa fields. Females tend to be white and males yellow.
Figure 1. Alfalfa Butterfly (AKA sulfur butterfly) adult feeding on flowers. (photo: Kathy Keatley Garvey)
VIDEO SHOWING ALFALFA CATERPILLARS IN THE FIELD...
- Author: Ian Grettenberger
- Author: Rachael Long
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: Rob Wilson
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" holds true in entomology as well!
The activity of natural enemies of pests (beneficial insects) is a key component of Integrated Pest Management in alfalfa to prevent pest resurgence and secondary pest outbreaks.
This is especially true for blue alfalfa aphid (BAA), a challenging pest in alfalfa (see companion article on managing BAA). Although BAA is frequently the most damaging and troublesome aphid to control, spotted alfalfa aphid, pea aphid, and cowpea aphid can also be problematic.
In alfalfa, aphids have many natural enemies. Some, like lady beetles, syrphid...
- Author: Ian Grettenberger
- Author: Rachael Long
- Author: Michael Rethwisch
- Author: Rob Wilson
- View More...
“I'll be back!” And, they are, with a vengeance!
Just like the Terminator, those pesky blue alfalfa aphids are once again wreaking havoc in alfalfa fields, including those just breaking dormancy in colder climates. They are also showing up in the first two cuttings under low-desert conditions in Southern California and Arizona. In some areas, there is a mix of blue alfalfa aphid, pea aphid, and cowpea aphid
How to respond might depend upon where you are, in part due to environment, stage of growth, and role of natural enemies.
Recently, Bill Chounet from Stanislaus Farm Supply contacted us from Nevada, observing alfalfa fields with extensive aphid damage in the very early in...
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: Rachael long
How about a trip to beautiful Reno with >500 of your closest friends? Please join us for the
2019 Western Alfalfa & Forage Symposium
Optimizing Yield and Quality in Irrigated Forages
19-21 November, 2019, Grand Sierra Hotel, Reno, NV
CE Units Provided (24 units CCA, 3 units PCA)
Early-Bird Registration will close Nov....
- Author: Rachael Freeman Long
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
- Author: Ian Grettenberger
The end is near for chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) applications in many California crops, now on a faster timetable than previously anticipated. This results from a recent agreement between CA Department of Pesticide Regulation (CA-DPR) and pesticide manufacturers to withdraw their products beginning in a few months (February of 2020).
This is a major issue for alfalfa, since it is one of the most popular wide-spectrum insecticides for management of key alfalfa pests. These include the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica, which chews on the foliage (Figure 1, Figure 2) and the aphid complex (several...
