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Ohio State University Extension

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Soybean Insects

C.O.R.N. Newsletter Articles

  1. Author(s): Kelley Tilmon , Author(s): Andy Michel

    Why are stink bugs the stealthiest insect pest near the end of summer?  It’s because their method of feeding is so subtle.  You won’t see damaged leaves or sickly-looking plants with stink bugs.  They have straw-like mouthparts which they poke through the pod directly into the developing seed.  If this happens early enough in seed development the seed will simply abort.  If it happens later, the seed will be shriveled and shrunken.  Either way, this reduces yield and/or reduces seed quality, though you will not see the damage unless you carefully inspect the pods for missi

    Issue: 2023-25
  2. Soybean aphids on the underside  of a soybean leaf.  Photo by Daren Mueller, Iowa State University
    Author(s): Kelley Tilmon , Author(s): Andy Michel

    You know how at the end of the horror movie there’s always some hint that the monster may come back?  We don’t know if this year will be “Soybean Aphid 11: The Return,” but there are some hints that you might want to pay attention to your beans and keep an eye out for this pest.  We have been hearing reports of unusually high numbers of various aphid species on various types of plants – fruits, vegetables, weeds.  This trend appears to be regional, and is being detected in other states as well.  Why?  It’s probably due to the unusual late spring/early summer weather which

    Issue: 2023-23
  3. Bean leaf beetle in soybeans
    Author(s): Kelley Tilmon , Author(s): Andy Michel

    At the end of the growing season, when many soybean fields are shutting down, those which are still green can be a magnet for certain insect pests as they leave the mature fields.  Double-crop soybeans and late planted beans that are running behind and are still fresh can be attractive for stink bugs, bean leaf beetles, and sometimes grasshoppers when they leave yellowing fields for greener pastures.  If you have such soybean fields in areas where other fields are maturing, they are worth an extra eye until they reach the R6 (full seed) growth stage.  After R6, the yield i

    Issue: 2022-29
  4. red-phase bean leaf beetle with spots on soybean trifoliate
    Author(s): Curtis Young, CCA , Author(s): Kelley Tilmon

    The mid-season defoliators are beginning to show up in soybean fields across Ohio. These defoliators include first generation bean leaf beetles, Japanese beetles, grasshopper nymphs and several different caterpillars such as silver-spotted skippers, painted-lady butterflies and green cloverworms. Since all of these insects collectively add to the defoliation of soybeans, their collective feeding is used in the threshold to determine the need for an insecticide treatment, but it takes a lot of feeding to add up to significant damage. It often looks worse than what it truly is.

    Issue: 2021-22
  5. Spider mite stippling damage in soybean (bugwood.org)
    Author(s): Andy Michel , Author(s): Kelley Tilmon

    Hot, dry weather encourages certain pests in field crops, in particular spider mites in soybean and occasionally corn.  Spider mites are a sporadic problem that most often occurs in August, but infestations in July are possible with sustained periods of hot, dry weather like some parts of Ohio are experiencing.  Crop scouts in areas that have not received rain recently should be on the lookout for this problem; spider mites are easy to miss in early stages and can build quickly.

    Issue: 2020-22

Publications

  1. 01/2011

    Control of Insect Pests of Field Crops, Bulletin 545. Gives detailed information on pest control thresholds and insecticide options for management of insects in corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa.

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