Seasonal progression of pests

This guide discusses insect and mite pests in the approximate seasonal order that they damage corn: pre-emergence, seedling to tassel, and tassel to hard dough. Many pest species cause economic damage for only a short time during the growing season. However, some pests remain a threat for much longer periods.

Table 1 lists the stages of corn and associated pests that may be of economic consequence at a particular growth stage.

Table 1. Seasonal progression of insect pests

Pest Seed/Seedling Whorl to pretassel Tassel/silk Grain filling
Wireworm X
White grub X
Fire Ant X
Seedcorn beetle X
Seedcorn maggot X
Lesser cornstalk borer X X
Flea beetle X
Chinch bug X X
Corn leaf aphid X X X
English grain aphid X X X
Cutworms X
Fall armyworm X X X X
Armyworm X X X X
Western corn rootworm X X X
Mexican corn rootworm X X X
Southern corn rootworm X X
Spider mites X X X X
Southwestern corn borer X X X
European corn borer X X X
Mexican rice borer X X X
Sugarcane borer X X X
Neotropical borer X X X
Western bean cutworm X X X
Corn earworm X X X
Grasshoppers X X X