Sunflower-Woolly bear caterpillar (Isabella tiger moth)

Black banded woolly bear (Pyrrhactica isabella)

Pest description Adults have tan wings with faint black spots and black spots on the back of the abdomen. Larvae are fuzzy, with black bands at the front and rear and a reddish band in the middle. Larvae are generalist plant feeders.

Management-chemical control

  • carbaryl (Sevin) at 1 to 1.5 lb ai/A. PHI 60 days. REI 24 hr.
  • esfenvalerate (Asana XL) at 0.03 to 0.05 lb ai/A. Do not exceed 0.2 lb ai/A per season. PHI 28 days. REI 12 hr.
  • lambda-cyhalothrin (Warrior II) at 0.02 to 0.03 lb ai/A. Do not apply more than 0.12 lb ai/A per season or more than 0.09 lb ai/A after bloom begins. PHI 45 days. REI 24 hr.
  • lambda-cyhalothrin/chlorantraniliprole (Besiege) at 6 to 10 fl oz/A. Do not apply more than 0.12 lb ai/A per season of lambda-cyhalothrin or more than 0.2 lb ai/A of chlorantraniliprole. PHI 45 days. REI 24 hr.

For more information:

Knodel, J., Charlet, L., and Gavloski, J. Integrated Pest Management of Sunflower Insect Pests In the Northern Great Plains. 2015. North Dakota State University Extension Service. E- 1457. https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops/integrated-pest-management-of...

Sloderbeck, P., Assefa, G., Michaud, J., Peiars, F., and Hein, G. Insect Pest Identification and Control. 2009. In: High Plains Sunflower Production Handbook. Kansas State University. MF-2384. https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF2384.pdf