Aphids
Aphids can be problematic pests in wheat. There are several species of aphids in wheat fields. These include the English grain aphid and the bird-cherry oat aphid. Different species have different life cycles. Aphids do little direct damage to wheat plants but can be problematic due to transmission of viruses.
Armyworm
Armyworms can be problematic pests in cereal grains. Armyworms are moth caterpillars that vary in color (gray or green) with a distinct yellow, white, and brown strip along the body. The adult is a yellow-brown moth. Moths emerge in spring months and lay eggs on wheat or barley. Larvae developing from these eggs then feed on wheat from May into the summer.
Cereal Leaf Beetle
The cereal leaf beetle can be a problematic pest in cereal. Cereal leaf beetles overwinter and emerge in the spring, where they can move into winter and then spring wheat. Larvae and adults can do significant damage to crops. Biological control has been particularly effective in reducing cereal leaf beetle populations.
Wireworms
Wireworms are the immature larval stage of click beetles, and these beetles can spend several years in this larval stage feeding on germinating seeds and young seedlings, resulting in thin crop stands and lower yields.
Additional Resources
- Wireworm Scouting: The Shovel Method and the Modified Wireworm Solar Bait Trap
- Entomology Society presentation (Esser) (pdf)
- How to Sample for Wireworms (Video) – Milosavljevic
- Distribution of Wireworm Species (Video) – Milosavljevic
- Wireworm Identification and Management (Video) – Esser
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the Cereal Leaf Beetle in Washington State
- Identification and Biology of Aphids and Cereal Leaf Beetles (Video) – Eigenbrode (Video)
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