Grain scoop: how and what harms gray and common
It is impossible to describe the importance of crops for humans. They are an essential part of the business. Every year the harvests of wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats are eagerly awaited. However, the armyworm can destroy these crops.
Content
What does a grain scoop look like: photo
Description of the grain scoop
Name: Grain scoops (gray and common)
Latin: Apamea sordensClass: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Lepidoptera - Lepidoptera
Family: Owls - Noctuidae
 | Habitats: | all over the world |
 | Dangerous for: | perennial herbs |
 | Means of destruction: | folk, chemical and biological preparations |
| Butterfly appearance | Butterfly gray. The wingspan is from 3,2 cm to 4,2 cm. It has grayish-brown forewings with a black longitudinal line at the base. The hindwings are greyish-brown in color. Body with round and kidney-shaped spots. |
| What do eggs look like? | The eggs are light yellow. Initially, they have a pearlescent hue. They have a flat shape with 34-36 radial ribs. A micropylar rosette consists of 14 to 16 blades. An egg with a diameter of 0,48 to 0,52 mm. Height from 0,35 to 0,37 mm. |
| Appearance of caterpillars | The caterpillar does not have warts. The color is brownish-gray with a red head. The cuticle is covered with hairs. The soles of the false legs are oval with 11 hooks. She is helped to move by 3 pairs of pectoral legs and 5 pairs of false legs. An adult caterpillar reaches 3 cm. |
| Pupa | Reddish-brown pupa. The first three abdominal segments have transverse folds and sparse punctures. |
Habitat
Grain scoop lives in all countries of the former USSR. Mass reproduction is noted in Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, Trans-Urals. It inhabits mainly the forest-steppe zone. The tundra is a place where there is no insect.
Particularly active reproduction was in 1956 - 1960 in northeastern Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, the Urals, and the Volga region. There were up to 1 caterpillars per 300 square meter.
Life
Grain owl.
Departure times are affected by weather conditions. At high temperatures, they can be seen in June, at low temperatures and rains - not earlier than July. Owls are night butterflies. Activity is observed during the period of 22:00-2:00. A warm and dark night is the best time for a moth.
With the advent of dawn, they stop eating and flying. At temperatures below 15 degrees heat become less active. Developed wings allow to overcome long distances. During the day they hide in leaves, lumps of soil, crevices.
Reproduction and life cycle
Common grain cutworm laying is inherent on the outer part of the plant - the legs of spikelets, leaves of wheat and rye.
Gray Owl very cold hardy. It tolerates low temperatures very well. At temperatures below 10, the caterpillar hardens, but does not die. When thawed, it comes to life again.
The fertility of females is affected by temperature and humidity. Severe drought contributes to a sharp decrease in egg laying. At a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius in laboratory conditions, it was found that one female lays 95 eggs. At 25 degrees - 285 pieces. One clutch contains from 3 to 60 eggs. On average - 25. The eggs are protected by a film of the flower.
The geographic location of the region also greatly influences. In severely arid regions, a large number of barren individuals are found. In the northern region, there are up to 1300 eggs per female.
Laying is done at night for a month. In the gray variety, the masonry sites are wheat, rye, wheatgrass, and sometimes barley. The female is placed on the ear, lowers her head down, pushing the spikelets apart. Eggs are laid on the inside of the flowering and spikelet scales. Masonry is accompanied by vibrating movements of the wings.
Further, the caterpillars find separate places for themselves on the ear and feed on their own. Within 5 - 7 days they molt. Damaged grain has a thin shell. The caterpillar develops for a long period. Molting occurs 7 times. The age of the caterpillar is determined by the width of the head.
Awakening occurs when the soil temperature is not lower than 5 degrees Celsius. Caterpillars that have fed in the fall are eaten in the spring for 10 to 15 days. Weak individuals continue to eat food for up to a month. After this, the pupation period begins.
This process takes 20 to 30 days. The first chrysalis can be found in early May. Cold spring means delaying the deadline until June 20. Earing of spring wheat and the period of laying eggs contribute to intensive infection of crops.
Each age has its own behavior. In the second age there is a transition to another grain. At the fourth age, they gnaw the grain from the outside. Starting from the fifth age, activity is manifested only at night. In total, caterpillars have 8 ages.
Economic importance
Caterpillars eat wheat, rye, barley, oats, grains, corn cobs. Perennial grasses damage - rush hair and wheatgrass. They consume sugary liquid in spikelets.
How to deal with grain scoop
Grain scoop is a dangerous enemy that affects many crops and can deprive the crop. She even on an industrial scale can eat stocks of grain. There are a number of methods of struggle that must be applied.
Agrotechnical methods of struggle
To prevent the appearance of pests, you must:
- harvest in a timely manner;
- peel and do early plowing;
- process crops between rows;
- select the optimal sowing dates and resistant varieties of wheat;
- clean the grain in storage.
Chemical and biological methods
Folk ways
A very good result shows a decoction of wormwood. 1 kg is poured into a container with 3 liters of water and boiled for 20 minutes. Plants are pollinated with the solution. You can also add 4 kg of tomato leaves to 10 liters of water. Boil 30 minutes. Filter and process.
Follow the link for 6 actionable steps. owl fight.
Conclusion
It is very important to preserve the grain crops. With the help of agrotechnical methods, the invasion of the armyworm can be prevented. However, in the event of the appearance of pests, they immediately begin the fight in one of the above ways.
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