More Flights of Black Cutworm Moths Have Arrived in Southeastern Pennsylvania

May 16, 2022

Black cutworm moths continue to arrive in southeastern Pennsylvania, but in the rest of the state our traps have yielded relatively few individuals. Penn State's Black Cutworm Monitoring Network has now detected five "significant flights" of moths (9 moths over two nights)—two in Lancaster County (near Manheim and Landisville) and three in Lebanon County (near Fredericksburg, Cornwall, and Bellegrove). See last week's article for an overview of the damage potential from black cutworm caterpillars to corn and our recommended strategy for control. We will update you weekly on the status of accumulated degree days at these sites and if others emerge, and keep you informed of when the risk of cutting damage to corn plants approaches (Table 1). See our fact sheet on black cutworm for more details.

Table 1. Significant flights of black cutworm moths detected in Pennsylvania in 2022, and accumulated degree days since trapping.

County	Nearest town	Date significant flight detected	Accumulated degree days*
Lancaster	Landisville	11 April	157
Lancaster	Manheim	1 May	69
Lebanon	Bellegrove	1 May	65
Lebanon	Cornwall	1 May	61
Lebanon	Fredericksburg	11 April	110

^*As of 12 May 2022

Source : psu.edu

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