Insects

A number of pest and beneficial insects can have a significant impact on canola production. Since this impact can vary between locations, conditions and years, effective scouting strategies at the correct time, proper damage assessments and accurate economic thresholdAn economic threshold is the level of infestation (ex. pest insect density) at which lost yield (ex. due to feeding/insect pest damage) exceeds the cost of the chemical and its application. More utilization will help grower manage insects throughout the growing season for a successful canola crop.

For information on managing insecticide resistance in canola and other crops, see CropLife Canada’s Manage Resistance Now.

For videos on managing insects in canola, check out our YouTube playlist.

Alfalfa looper

The alfalfa looper (Autographia californica) adult moth stage looks much different from its larvae stage, which is often confused with…

Aphids

Several aphid species, including the cabbage (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) and turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach)) amongst other species, can be…

Aster leafhopper

This migratory pest insect which arrives in Canada in the spring, depending on the wind trajectories, is best known for…

Beneficial insects

Beneficial insects provide valuable contributions to canola production, both in terms of pollination of crops and predation or parasitism of…

Bertha armyworm

Bertha armyworm is a significant insect pests of canola in Canada and some years can cause severe infestations. Properly identifying…

Cabbage seedpod weevil

This canola insect pest, which can cause considerable yield loss at the larval stage, has continued to increase its distribution…

Cabbageworms

These occasional pest insects haven’t been reported to cause economic damage in canola on the Prairies. However, proper identification of…

Canola flower midge

The canola flower midge is a pest insect recently discovered in Western Canada. It looks very similar to the swede…

Clover cutworms

Similar to other cutworms, this insect pest only causes damage to the crop during the larval stage. As a generalist,…

Cutworms

The larval stage of various cutworm species (including redbacked, pale western, darksided and dingy), can cause damage to canola plants…

Diamondback moth

A common pest insect in canola, the diamondback moth adults blow in from the southern United States each spring with…

Flea beetles

Potentially the most common insect pest of canola crops, flea beetles first attack plants in the seedling to early vegetative…

Grasshoppers

A common insect pest in canola, grasshoppers should be scouted for, identified and insect counts can be considered per area…

Lygus bugs

A common pest in canola (and can be an issue in other crops), the lygus bug has piercing-sucking mouthparts which…

Painted lady

The painted lady or thistle butterfly (Vanessa cardui (L.)) is an occasional pest of canola, with the larval stage causing…

Red turnip beetle

Both the adult and the larval stages of the red turnip beetle will feed on canola and other Brassica plants,…

Swede midge

This insect pest causes damage to canola while in its larval stage. It has been found in Ontario and other…