Corn Insects
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South Dakota Pest Management Guides
The South Dakota Pest Management guides are now available for free. The guides offer recommendations for controlling weeds, insects, and diseases in a variety of South Dakota crops.
All Corn Insects Content

Crops
During the growing season, SDSU Extension provides weekly production recommendations.

Don’t Let Grasshoppers Decrease Your Yields
Throughout the 2023 growing season, grasshopper populations have been causing problems. Those problems aren’t over yet, and we won’t be able to stop monitoring grasshopper activity until the crops are harvested.

Corn
Nearly one out of every three dollars generated by South Dakota agriculture starts in a corn field. Two of every three rows of corn become ethanol.

Redheaded Flea Beetles Clipping Corn Silks
While scouting corn last week, we noticed populations of redheaded flea beetles. These defoliators were removing leaf tissue, but the bigger issue with redheaded flea beetles is that they feed on corn silks as well.

Corn Rootworm Adults Are Active in South Dakota
We have been observing a lot of corn rootworm adults in South Dakota. The emergence of these primarily underground pests can provide insight into field population levels and the potential for future root injury.

Redheaded Flea Beetles Are Active in South Dakota
Redheaded flea beetles are now active in soybean. Although they haven’t caused significant defoliation yet, their activity should be monitored, as other defoliating insects are also present in soybean.

Grasshopper Activity Is Ramping Up
We have already observed increased grasshopper activity in many areas of the state and, depending on the 2022 season, they may become problematic in crops.

Dingy Cutworms Observed in South Dakota Crops
Dingy cutworms have been reported in South Dakota crops, and their activity is likely to continue for at least another couple of weeks.

It’s a Bee! It’s a Wasp! No, It’s a Hover Fly!
Many types of insects are responsible for some degree of pollination in landscapes. In this article, we will focus on the syrphid fly as both an important pollinator and a beneficial insect predator.

Tiger Beetles: Beneficial Predators and Ecosystem Health Indicators
Tiger beetles are generalist predators, meaning they prey on a wide variety of pests. Observing them in a landscape is a great sign that an ecosystem is healthy and supporting a diversity of both prey and predators.