Includes bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata)
Pest description and crop damage Caterpillars are mostly dark green to black with thin white lines down the back and a light brown head. A white to yellow lateral band runs the length of the body. Larvae feed on cones and leaves.
Management-chemical control
- abamectin/bifenthrin (Athena) by ground for armyworms except beet armyworm at 0.068 to 0.12 lb ai/A. PHI 28 days. REI 12 hr. Do not make more than two applications of Athena per season. Do not make applications less than 21 days apart. Do not apply more than 0.019 lb ai/A of any abamectin formulation or 0.30 lb ai/A of any bifenthrin formulation per season. Group 6/3A insecticides.
- azadirachtin (various formulations)-See label for rates. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. Works best on early larval stages. Applications can be repeated every 7 days or as needed. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
- Bacillus thuringiensis (various formulations)-See label for rates. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. Works best on early larval stages. Repeat treatment as needed. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use. Group 11A insecticide.
- bifenthrin (various formulations) at 0.06 to 0.1 lb ai/A. PHI 14 days. REI 12 hr. Do not exceed 0.1 lb ai/A per application or 0.3 lb ai/A per season. Minimum application interval is 21 days. Group 3A insecticide.
- Burkholderia spp. strain A396. (Venerate XC, Venerate CG)-See label for rates. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. Apply when pest populations are low. Repeat as needed. OMRI-listed for organic use.
- chlorantraniliprole (Coragen) for western yellowstriped armyworm at 0.045 to 0.098 lb ai/A. PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. Up to four applications per year at 7-day intervals. Do not exceed 15.4 fl oz or 0.2 lb ai/A chlorantraniliprole-containing product per year. Group 28 insecticide.
- Chromobacterium subtsugae strain PRAA4-1 (Grandevo CG)-See label for rates. PHI 0 days. Apply when pest populations are low. Repeat as needed. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use.
- imidacloprid/bifenthrin (Brigadier, Swagger) by ground or air for armyworms except beet armyworm at 0.20 lb ai/A. PHI 28 days. REI 12 hr. Do not apply more than 0.1 lb ai/A of imidacloprid or more than 0.1 lb ai/A of bifenthrin per application. Do not apply more than 0.30 lb ai/A of any bifenthrin formulation or 0.30 lb ai/A of any imidacloprid formulation per season. Group 4A/3A insecticides.
- naled (Dibrom 8E) at 0.9 lb ai/A. PHI 7 days. REI 48 hr. Up to five applications per season at 14-day intervals. Apply in 100 to 200 gallons of water by air or 10 to 20 gallons of water by ground. Group 1B insecticide.
- pyrethrins/azadirachtin (Azera) at 0.013 to 0.0044 lb ai/A azadirachtin/0.014 to 0.048 lb ai/A pyrethrins. PHI 0 days. REI 12 hr. Apply when pest populations first appear. Reapply every 5-7 days as needed up to 10 times per season. Do not apply more than 0.050 lb ai/A pyrethrins per season. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use. Group 3A insecticide.
- spinetoram (Delegate WG) at 0.039 to 0.063 lb/Ai. PHI 1 day. REI 4 hr. Target eggs and small larvae. Allow at least 4 days between applications. Do not make more than two consecutive applications of group 5 insecticides. Do not make more than 3 applications per season. Do not apply more than 0.305 lb ai per season. Group 5 insecticide.
- spinosad (Entrust, Success) at 0.06 to 0.10 lb ai/A. PHI 1 day. REI 4 hr. Allow at least five days between applications. Do not make more than two consecutive applications of group 5 insecticides. Do not make more than five applications per season. Do not apply more than 0.47 lb ai/A per season. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic use. Group 5 insecticide.