Insect monitoring in sweetpotatoes

Insect populations were monitored in sweetpotato fields for two consecutive years by weekly sweep net sampling and biweekly counts of insects collected on two different sizes of purple sticky traps and Pherocon™ AM yellow sticky traps. Four sweep net samples, each consisting of 25 sweeps, were taken from each of four different locations from early July to late September. Four replications of each Pherocon AM yellow sticky traps and two different sizes of purple sticky traps were installed at each of four locations.  The traps were checked biweekly until harvest. Insect samples were collected and identified. The sticky traps attracted more insect pests than those captured by sweep net sampling. Several species of click beetles (adult wireworms, mostly Conoderus vespertinus), Cerotoma trifurcata, Lygus lineolaris, Diabrotica undecimpunctata, tortoise beetles and flea beetles were collected on purple/yellow sticky traps or sweep net samples. Consistent numbers of different insect species were collected in both purple and yellow traps than in sweep net samples. Sweep net sampling collected all insect species except C. trifurcata, whereas; click beetles and flea beetles were mostly collected during July and August. Purple sticky traps may provide a viable alternate method to sweep net sampling for insect pests of sweetpotatoes in Mississippi and Arkansas.