News

What are the black moths swarming my combine cab?

Some farmers in Illinois are seeing large quantities of black triangular moths swarming their combines in soybean fields this harvest season.

“They are in the combines, along the combine windows. Kind of a curiosity this year.”

University of Illinois field crop entomologist Nick Seiter tells Brownfield they are adult green clover worms.

“Green clover worm is an insect we have in soybeans every single year. They feed on soybean foliage. We did have relatively high populations this year and we had some defoliation in some fields from that insect. So right now what we’re seeing is the moths.”

He says while it will be a fight to keep them out of the combine cab, they don’t threaten the crop at this stage.

“These are just moths, so they’re not going to feed on plant tissue. They do over winter here in Illinois, but it’s unclear how much of an impact this could have for next year.”

Seiter says green clover worms are highly susceptible to diseases and usually large populations crash quickly.