By Hannah Burrack, from Southeast Farm Press: Last month, I posted about the potential for greater and more unusual insect activity in tobacco greenhouses due to our warm winter and relatively mild spring.
Spring has become less mild recently, but interesting insects are cropping up in tobacco greenhouses in eastern North Carolina.
Two unusual insect issues appeared recently in Wilson County.
Tobacco splitworm
Distinctive tobacco splitworm mines were found in two tobacco greenhouses in Wilson County recently, along with what appear to be splitworm pupae. Neither of these greenhouses were near potato fields or gardens with potatoes, which are common early season hosts of tobacco splitworm (known as potato tuber moth when feeding on potato).
They were, however, near a weedy area or areas where weeds had recently been killed. Tobacco spitworm will also feed on horsenettle, nightshade, and other related weeds, so it is possible the insects in the greenhouse migrated in from these areas.
Damage was limited, but early splitworm activity in tobacco is of concern because these insects can increase their populations rapidly. This is a scenario where transplant insecticide applications may make sense if damage continues.
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