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 |