Native budworm moth trapping
- Usual automated and manual trapping locations
Southern Cross once again recorded the largest flight of native budworm moths this week with 263 moths captured. Larger flights are beginning to move into other areas of the wheatbelt, the higher captures this week include: Grass Patch North (109 moths), Kellerberrin North (89), Badgingarra (57), Maya (42), Dowerin (41), Kirwan (36), Esperance (55) and Doodlakine (25).
All results of this week's manual trappings are available at the department’s Native budworm moth numbers 2021.
A grower has also reported finding nine native budworm caterpillars in 10 sweeps in a lupin crop near Yuna.
Growers and consultants are reminded to be on the lookout for budworm caterpillars in pulse and canola crops in the coming weeks given the increased moth activity detected in some regions. The warmer weather and associated easterly airflows predicted for early next week are likely to encourage further moth flights.
Summary of native budworm moth movements this season
As part of the national iMapPESTS project, the department has expanded its native budworm trapping network to give better spatial awareness of moths as they enter and move through the Grainbelt. A mapped view of the native budworm trap captures is available at Cesar Australia’s MothTrapVisWA page. Viewers need to select the desired trapping date range.
The maps clearly show some native budworm moths entering the northern grainbelt shires in June and then moving down the eastern boundary, all the way to Esperance, in July and August. There has been little movement of native budworm moths into the southwest of the grainbelt.
Pesticide options for the control of native budworm can be found in DPIRD’s 2021 winter spring insecticide guide.
Detailed information on this pest can be found at the department’s Management and economic thresholds for native budworm.
For more information contact Technical Officer Alan Lord, South Perth +61 (0)8 9368 3758 or +61 (0)409 689 468.
Article authors: Alan Lord (DPIRD South Perth) and Christiaan Valentine (DPIRD Northam).