Common names: Seedcorn maggot, Bean seed fly
Latin names:Hylemya (Cilicrura) platura, Hylemya spp, Delia Platura.
Damage to plants
- Seed destroyed, resulting in poor germination and gappy stands.
- Weak, wilting plants.
Signs
- Maggots found within maize seeds or seedling stems.
- Gaps in the plant stand.
- Tall, wilting, spindly plants.
Factors favoring insects / pest development
- Wet, cool weather following planting which delays germination.
- Early planting.
- Heavy cover crops.
- Heavily fertilized or manured fields.
Geographical distribution
- Seedcorn maggots are found in North America’s temperate regions and tropical highlands.