Hessian Fly Making an Appearance in Cereals

This season we have noticed hessian fly in our Southern scouting regions. Hessian fly adults will lay eggs on leaf surfaces of cereals that will hatch 3-7 days after, depending on weather. Insects then move into the larvae stage and this is when they will feed on plant tissue near leaf sheaths and/or at the stem near the crown and nodes. After 2-3 weeks the hessian fly will move into the pupae stage. At this stage, they resemble a flaxseed and can be found near the base of the stem and this is when we can see cereal plants lodged over. These pupae can overwinter in the cereal stubble and the adults will emerge in the spring or fall depending on temperature and where the insect is in its lifecycle.

At this time there is not much we can do about hessian fly, but a few practices that can help against them is managing volunteer cereals and other host plants, as well as seeding after the hessian fly-free period. Currently, there has not been major outbreaks of this insect in our scouting regions but they are starting to show up more frequently. This season, the most damage we have noticed is 0-4 plants per square foot lodged over. Damage is not extreme but can be found. By being aware of increasing populations, we can stay ahead of this insect!