Additional Authors: Ed Brown, Marcus McCartney, Kevin Fletcher
The kudzu bug is currently being monitored for in nine counties in Ohio including Adams, Athens, Butler, Clermont, Madison, Meigs, Montgomery, Ross and Washington. Traps were set in May and will be checked weekly through June. Overall, zero kudzu bugs have been found on traps in the monitoring counties. Figure 1 illustrates the average number of kudzu bug / total number of traps located in each county participating in the kudzu bug monitoring (highlighted in red).
Although the kudzu bug has yet to be found in Ohio; the distribution has been rapidly expanding. It is now found in Kentucky, and the I-75 corridor connects Ohio to the Southeastern US where it is very prevalent. The kudzu bug is a serious invasive pest of soybean causing a reduction to yield with heavy infestation. Both immature and adult kudzu bugs feed on soybean plants with piercing-sucking mouth parts. Adult kudzu bugs can be identified by their globular shape and greenish-brown color (see below). In addition to soybean, the kudzu bug also feeds on the kudzu plant, an invasive weed. If you suspect kudzu bug in your county please contact your local extension office.
