Lep Monitoring Network – Fall Armyworm and Corn Earworm Update

Over the past week we continued monitoring for fall armyworm and corn earworm in Ohio. Fall armyworm (FAW) reports remain sporadic with some counties reporting 0, and others with 200+ moths in one trap. Van Wert County continues to report the highest number of FAW with a total of 826 moths - with one trap hitting 256.

Fall Armyworm Numbers Remain High

The spike in FAW numbers continued over the past week in a number of counties. Growers with corn, sorghum, small grains, pasture grasses, and forage crops should remain vigilant in scouting for the presence of FAW egg masses and larvae. While it is too soon to predict the outcome of the high trap numbers, we expect that towards the end of August we may be seeing more larvae. For more information on FAW and the life cycle, refer to our article in last weeks newsletter: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2024-27/be-mindful-fall-armyworm-which-could-get-interesting

This is our 2^nd week monitoring for FAW in Ohio. The statewide average for FAW increased to 37.7 moths, up from 9.8 last week. Counties with the highest averages are Van Wert (83), Wayne (75), Wood, Sandusky (14), Lucas (13), and Putnam (7) (Figure 1).

Fall armyworm moth map

Week 2

August 12^th to August 18^th, 2024

Figure 1. Average fall armyworm (FAW) moths captured from August 12^th to August 18^th. The bold number on the left indicates the average moth count for the week, followed by the standard number on the right which indicates the total number of active traps set up in that county.

Corn Earworm

This is our 11^th week monitoring for CEW pests in Ohio. Numbers remain overall low for CEW. Muskingum County had the highest average (5.0), followed by Wood County with 3.0 (Figure 2). With low reports for the past few weeks, we plan to only monitor for CEW adults for another week.

Corn earworm moth map

Week 11

August 12^th to August 18^th, 2024

Figure 2. Average corn earworm (CEW) moths captured from August 12^th to August 18^th. The bold number on the left indicates the average moth count for the week, followed by the standard number on the right which indicates the total number of active traps set up in that county.