Corn Earworm
Elevated corn earworm migration risks will remain in the forecast over the next several nights as a cold front slowly moves east and southeast through the corn-growing region. This cold front may not reach the eastern corn-growing region until next week, and may actually not pass through the entire corn-growing region but return north as a warm front mid-week next week. The result will be rather persistent south to southwest winds east of the front that will allow corn earworms to fly north from fields that are becoming or are already less attractive hosts due to more advanced growth in the mid-south and southern states. We also have a favorable moon phase (full moon) right now which will further assist these moths in moving north along major rivers and other bodies of water. Moderate risks focus mainly from far eastern Nebraska east into Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and southwest lower Michigan tonight into tomorrow. As time goes on, this Moderate risk area will shift or focus slightly more to the east, with any field east of I-35 of greater concern for potentially seeing new corn earworm moths by the latter portion of the weekend and into early next week, as well, with the Moderate risk focusing as far east as southern Ontario, Canada and Ohio by that time. Growers are encouraged to continually monitor traps and scout fields as a combination of generations appearing from previous moth flights and the presence of new moths coinciding with each other may result in increased pressure in scattered areas, especially in/near the Moderate risk areas, in the coming week or so.

