Cabbage seedpod weevil, bertha armyworm diamondback moth, wheat midge, swede midge and more
Abbreviated Weekly Update – Staff are busy performing surveys and participating in tours this week.
Weather synopsis – Below is the Accumulated Precipitation for the Growing Season
Wheat Midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana) – Wheat midge biology and monitoring information can be located
by clicking here or linking to your provincial fact sheet (Saskatchewan Agriculture, Alberta Agriculture and
Rural Development).
More information related to wheat midge on the Canadian prairies was published by Elliott, Olfert, and Hartley
in 2011. Sweep-nets can be used to detect wheat midge but REMEMBER that in-field counts of wheat
midge per head remain the basis of economic threshold decision. Also remember that the parasitoid,
Macroglenes penetrans, is now out actively searching for wheat midge. Preserve this parasitoid whenever
possible and remember your insecticide control options for wheat midge also kill these beneficial insects which
help reduce midge populations.
In-field monitoring for wheat midge should be carried out in the evening (preferably after 8:30 pm or later) when
the female midges are most active. On warm (at least 15ºC), calm evenings, the midge can be observed in the
field, laying their eggs on the wheat heads. Midge populations can be estimated by counting the number of
adults present on 4 or 5 wheat heads. Inspect the field daily in at least 3 or 4 locations during the evening.
July 16, 2014 - Prairie Pest Monitoring Weekly Update
Source: Alberta Canola Producers Commission