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Updated: August 16, 2023

Metamorphosis: The Life Stages of a Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed in North East, Maryland (FS-1144)

The monarch butterfly needs help from all the people and businesses across the country, not just a few. As researchers discover the direct effect of the decline of these amazing insects, we the people need to take action to help correct the problem. The purpose of this Extension Fact Sheet is to help eliminate one threat to the monarchs; uneducated humans. Humans that do not know what the monarch butterfly looks like in the caterpillar stage will oftentimes kill it when they find it in their garden. Knowing what the life stages of the monarch butterfly looks like, and protecting them allows another monarch butterfly to reach maturity, meaning it can then lay more eggs to produce more butterflies. Saving one butterfly at a time. Author: Doris Behnke; Metamorphosis: The Life Stages of a Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed in North East, Maryland ((FS-1144)
Updated: September 26, 2022

Scouting For Podworms

It's time to start scouting for podworms (Helicoverpa zea) in double-crop soybeans. There have been reports of high numbers of small and young pod worms and soybean loopers in double-crop soybean on the Delmarva. Podworms prefer fields that are flowering, open canopy, and stressed and have been recently sprayed with a non-selective insecticide. Their population can be spotty, so one field can be high while the field next to it is low, so the only way to know what is happening in a particular field is to sample it. You can sample for podworms using either a sweep net or drop cloth.
Figure 1. Yellow colored podworm feeding in soybean. Image: Clemson University, USDA Cooperative Exension Slide Series, Bugwood.org
Updated: February 14, 2022

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Images

Eastern tent caterpillar and moth photos
Updated: August 5, 2021

August IPM Insect Scouting Tips

August IPM insect scouting tips on soybean, field corn, and sorghum.
Figure 1. Spider mites on underside of soybean leaf viewed through 10x hand lens.
Updated: July 26, 2021

IPM Threshold Guide for Vegetable Crops

IPM Threshold Guide for Vegetable Crops
Updated: July 2, 2021

July IPM Insect Scouting Tips

Soybean: Scout for the usual defoliators, including bean leaf beetle, Japanese beetle, and caterpillars. The treatment threshold is 15-20% defoliation for bloom to pod fill. Note that defoliation percentages should be based on the entire soybean plant or canopy, not just the top leaves or worst leaves. University of Nebraska Extension has a nice guide for defoliating insects in soybeans (https://croptechcafe.org/defoliating-insects-in-soybeans-thresholds-training-and-tools/). Adult Dectes Stem Borer will be emerging over the next several weeks. Chemical control is not recommended since it would require multiple applications to reduce larval infestations, which is not economical. However, if a high number of adults are found, harvesting that field as soon as it matures will reduce losses associated with lodged plants.
Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, on a developing cluster of geranium (Pelargonium x Hortorum) flower buds. Photo taken by Stephen Ausmus, USDA
Updated: March 10, 2021

Managing Some Hard to Control Vegetable Pests of the mid-Atlantic Region

Over the last 4-5 years I have received calls and emails from growers about insect pests that they cannot seem to control as well as they had in the past. This presentation is going to look at some of the top vegetable pests that growers in the mid-Atlantic have had problems with and some ways to mitigate those problems.
Managing Some Hard to Control Vegetable Pests