Impact of Microenvironment on the Monitoring Effort of Black Cutworm.

Impact of Microenvironment on the Monitoring of Black Cutworm Moths Abstract Rational Black Cutworms pose a serious threat to corn plants and total yield in the Midwest. Regional monitoring for Black Cutworm moths helps gauge the population in an area. Estimating the population determines if preventive pest management is needed to ensure minimal damage to corn plants through the growing season. Whether or not the local microenvironment of monitoring traps affects the capture numbers is unknown today. Researching microenvironment of trap placement might provide much needed data for future monitoring of the Black Cutworm. Objective The purpose of this field experiment is to observe if microenvironments effect the number of Black Cutworms recorded in monitoring traps. Methods Monitor traps will be placed in different types of microenvironments within approximately one mile of each other in western Wisconsin. Data from monitoring traps will be recorded on a bi-weekly basis from mid-April through July.