Survey of Wheat Stem Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) Infesting Wheat in Eastern Colorado

Abstract

From 2012 through 2020, a survey of wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, was conducted in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields in Eastern Colorado. In 2013, results showed sawfly infestations concentrated in the northern part of the state with only a few highly infested sites, with 38 of the 94 sampled sites having any infestation (five of which had >50% infestation levels). By 2020 sawfly had been found in all eastern counties sampled, and 72 of the 106 sites sampled were found to contain sawfly (11 of which had >50% infestation levels). The spread of this pest across the Colorado wheat-growing region will have lasting economic effects. The information gathered from this and future surveys will inform wheat variety development and aid in management decisions made by growers across the state.

Keywords: agriculture; pest; survey.