Megacopta Cribraria Research Articles

Attractiveness of Host Plants at Different Growth Stage to Kudzu Bug, Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae): Behavioral Responses to Whole Plant and Constitutive Volatiles

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius), is an invasive pest of soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merr., that has recently been detected in the United States. This study investigated whether there was a differential attraction of adult bugs to soybean growth stages, and whether the attraction was related to soybean constitutive volatiles. Greenhouse choice assays examined the behavioral orientation preference of adult bugs exposed to four growth stages of whole soybean plants: vegetative (V2), flowering (R1), pod (R3), and seed (R5). Results show that significantly more adults landed on plants in the early reproductive stage R1 than in other stages. Laboratory olfactometer assays also demonstrate that significantly more adult bugs were attracted to R1 plants, with females responding more strongly than males. Both greenhouse and olfactometer assays indicate that the differential attraction of adult bugs to soybean growth stages was mediated by plant constitutive volatiles. These results offer an insight into kudzu bug chemical and behavioral ecology and thus are of great significance for optimizing the timing of field scouting and treatment as well as the development of soybean pest management programs.

Cold Tolerance of Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae): An Invasive Pest of Soybeans.

Kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria Fabricius (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), first discovered in the United States in 2009, is an invasive pest of soybeans. From 2013 to 2016, Maryland has been the northern limit of its distribution in the United States. We sought to determine the physiological cold temperature limits, timing of movement to overwintering locations, and to characterize overwintering microhabitat temperature. We measured supercooling point (SCP) on three populations from distinct USDA plant hardiness zones in Maryland and Virginia between October and December of 2015. The average SCP across all sample months and populations was -12.6°C and no consistent trend of month or population location were observed. Additionally, we assessed the lower lethal temperature to kill 50% of the population (LLT50) at the same population locations in October and November 2015. The average LLT50 over both months and all three population locations was -5.1°C. Again, no consistent trend based on population location was observed but we did find a modest depression in the LLT50 values between October and November. We observed that kudzu bug overwinters in leaf litter and begins to move into the litter in late November to early December. Leaf litter moderates day to night temperature differences and was warmer than ambient temperature by an average of 0.7°C. Evidence suggests that the cold tolerance of the kudzu bug limits its distribution north of Maryland.

Effect ofBeauveria bassiana(Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and Fungicide Applications onMegacopta cribraria(Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in Soybean

Core IdeaRoutine fungicide applications to soybean did not consistently affect kudzu bug suppression by Beauveria bassiana.Declining populations of kudzu bug,Megacopta cribraria(F.), in the southeastern United States have been observed since 2013 and are generally attributed to increased prevalence of natural enemies.Beauveria bassiana(Bals.‐Criv.) Vuill. infects kudzu bugs in North America, but the level of pest suppression has not been reported.Beauveria bassianais sensitive to classes of fungicides used to manage foliar pathogens in soybean. Here, the degree to whichB. bassianasuppressed kudzu bugs in soybean and changes in pest abundance as a result of routine fungicide applications were assessed in soybean plots located in Alabama and Georgia. In Alabama, seed and foliar treatments ofB. bassianaspores and treatment with fungicides were tested. In Georgia, conservation tillage and fungicide applications were tested for their effect on kudzu bug populations andB. bassianarelated mortality. Kudzu bug suppression due toBeauveriadiffered between sites, with 20 to 75% cadavers to total bugs observed in Alabama and 1 to 6% observed in Georgia. Tillage had no effect on kudzu bug numbers or suppression, though fungicide applications decreased suppression compared with the non‐treated control on one sample date.Beauveria bassianaseed and foliar treatments did not affect kudzu bug suppression. Effects of fungicides on ratios of cadavers to total bugs were variable, though lessBeauveriawas observed in plots receiving a fungicide tank mix compared with non‐treated controls. Fungicides had no consistent effect on kudzu bug populations at either site.

Mouthpart morphology and feeding behavior of the invasive kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae)

AbstractThe invasive kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, was first reported in North America in 2009 and has subsequently spread through most of the southeastern United States, causing yield loss in soybean. Since detection in the USA, research has focused mainly on managing this newly established pest, but many important characteristics of the pest's mouthpart morphology and feeding behavior are unknown. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of nymph and adult mouthparts and sensilla were made through scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy, and feeding behavior was examined using electropenetrography (EPG) and paraffin histology. Morphologies observed were similar to what has previously been reported for other piercing–sucking hemipterans. The relationship between rostrum length and body size (pronotum width and dorsal length) exhibited negative allometry. Rostrum length exhibited an isometric relationship with interocular width. Adult females (n=9) probed soybean stems 1.3±0.8 times in 9 h, with an average probe time of 2.3±1.3 h. EPG waveforms were characterized and correlated with behavior. Salivary sheaths were shown to terminate in the vascular tissue; four of five sheaths terminated in the phloem. This is the first time that the feeding behavior of a member of the Plataspidae has been recorded using EPG. Results add to our current limited knowledge of plataspid mouthpart morphology and provide a baseline for further research on the feeding behaviors of M. cribraria and other soybean‐feeding hemipterans.

Seasonal Occurrence and Interspecific Interactions of Egg Parasitoids of Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) in Japan

We conducted a field study to determine seasonal egg parasitism rates of the kudzu bug Megacopta cribraria (F.) on the kudzu plant, Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen et Almeida ex Sanjappa and Pradeep, in Tokyo, Japan, during the period from May 2014 to September 2014. The eggs of M. cribraria per 1 m2 of kudzu at four locations in Tokyo were collected weekly and parasitism rates were assessed. Eggs of M. cribraria were laid on the kudzu plant from May to September. Megacopta cribraria eggs were parasitized by two parasitoid species, Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) and Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii. Paratelenomus saccharalis first appeared in May, and its parasitism rates peaked in July and September. Ooencyrtus nezarae first appeared in June and its parasitism rates peaked in July. Except for one location which could not be statistically analyzed because of the small sample size, occurrence of parasitism by P. saccharalis and O. nezarae in M. cribraria egg masses was independent at one location and positively associated at two locations, suggesting that the use of host egg masses by P. saccharalis and O. nezarae is not mutually exclusive. Parasitism rates by P. saccharalis and O. nezarae were significantly lower for egg masses parasitized by both species than for those parasitized by a single species. The proportion of males among O. nezarae progeny was significantly higher for egg masses parasitized by O. nezarae together with P. saccharalis than for those parasitized by O. nezarae alone. These results suggest that parasitism of host egg masses by the two species is influenced by their interspecific interactions.

Impacts of Tillage, Maturity Group, and Insecticide Use on Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) Populations in Double-Cropped Soybean.

Megacopta cribraria (F.), also known as the kudzu bug, is a soybean pest in the United States, and it can cause up to a 60% yield reduction if not controlled. Insecticides are commonly used to manage this pest in commercial soybean fields. However, other soybean production practices may also affect kudzu bug populations. This study investigated the effect of soil tillage, maturity group selection, and insecticide use on kudzu bug densities in soybean. During 2012 and 2013, at two locations each year in North Carolina, four varieties of soybean maturity groups were planted in June into conventionally tilled plots and into plots with cereal crop residue under reduced tillage conditions (mimicking double-crop production). Plots were further split as insecticide-protected and untreated. Four times more kudzu bugs were found in conventionally tilled than reduced till plots throughout the growing season. Selection of the maturity group influenced the attractiveness of the kudzu bug to oviposit on soybean. A 56% reduction of kudzu bug densities was achieved through insecticide treatment, with an ∼6% increase in yield. Information on how production practices, including soil tillage, affect kudzu bug populations in soybean may help growers select practices to minimize kudzu bug injury and protect yield.

Development of a Portable Electronic Sensor for Detection of the Kudzu Bug, <i>Megacopta cribraria</i> (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae)

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius), recently became an invasive insect pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. in the southeastern USA capable of reducing crop yield by as much as 60% if left untreated. To reduce these losses and minimize control costs, new methods for detecting kudzu bugs must be investigated in order to optimize control measures. One such method would be to detect volatiles released by kudzu bugs. An electronic portable device was developed to draw volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by kudzu bugs over carbon black-polymer composite sensors and measure the change in resistance for each sensor. Sensors made using polymers poly (bisphenol A carbonate) (p = 0.041), poly (styrene-co-allyl alcohol) (p = 0.017) and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (p = 0.040) showed significant differences in resistance change for M. cribraria VOCs over the control. A logistic regression was 94.4% accurate based on the resistance changes from sensors made from polymers poly (4-vinylphenol), poly (styrene-co-allyl alcohol), and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) as features. These results indicate the capability of the device to detect kudzu bugs by detecting volatiles released by the insects.

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Evidence for (E)-2-Hexenal as a Female-Attracting Pheromone Produced by DisturbedMegacopta cribraria(Hemiptera: Plataspidae)

Abstract Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), commonly known as the kudzu bug, is an invasive insect that was first recorded in the United States in Georgia in 2009. Since its introduction it has spread across the Southeast, infesting soybean crops and significantly reducing crop yield. Chemical pesticides pose environmental concerns and are not compatible with biological control. This investigation was conducted to identify M. cribraria pheromones that could be utilized in an insect trap for environmentally friendly monitoring and integrated pest management. Open Y-track olfactometer assays revealed that M. cribraria females are attracted to volatiles produced by disturbed M. cribraria. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of volatile organic compounds produced by disturbed and undisturbed M. cribraria revealed the presence of tridecane and (E)-2-decenal in secretions from both disturbed and undisturbed M. cribraria, whereas (E)-2-hexenal was detected only in secretions from distu...

Seasonal Population Dynamics of Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in Kudzu and Soybean, and Implication for Insecticidal Management in Soybean.

Megacopta cribraria (F.), an invasive species introduced from Asia in 2009, is now prolific in the southeastern United States. Megacopta cribraria develops primarily on kudzu and soybean completing two generations. It is not well understood how this economic pest is affected by changes in geographic distribution in the United States or how population levels have changed since its establishment. The effect of insecticide application timing on field populations of M. cribraria is not well documented. These studies seek to understand how population dynamics of M. cribraria vary with geographic regions in Georgia. Effect of application timing on populations throughout the growing season was also examined. Weekly from 2012 to 2013, all life stages were enumerated from kudzu and soybean environments at several locations throughout Georgia from sweeps samples and flight intercept captures. Coordinates were recorded for locations, and classified as belonging to the Piedmont or Coastal Plain region of the state. Single spray trials were conducted from 2011-2014, and applications were made to soybean at intervals throughout the season. From 2012 to 2015, two kudzu patches near Griffin, GA, were monitored to detect population changes. Differences in population dynamics from locations around the state were found, but no clear effect of latitude, longitude, or region was observed. Insecticide applications applied in July suppressed nymph populations significantly better than treatments made earlier or later. Megacopta cribraria populations declined in 2014 and 2015 compared with 2012 and 2013. These studies provide the critical information for M. cribraria management in soybean in the southeastern United States.

Biology, Pest Status, Microbiome and Control of Kudzu Bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae): A New Invasive Pest in the U.S.

Soybean is an important food crop, and insect integrated pest management (IPM) is critical to the sustainability of this production system. In recent years, the introduction into the United States of the kudzu bug currently identified as Megacopta cribraria (F.), poses a threat to soybean production. The kudzu bug was first discovered in the state of Georgia, U.S. in 2009 and since then has spread to most of the southeastern states. Because it was not found in the North American subcontinent before this time, much of our knowledge of this insect comes from research done in its native habitat. However, since the U.S. introduction, studies have been undertaken to improve our understanding of the kudzu bug basic biology, microbiome, migration patterns, host selection and management in its expanding new range. Researchers are not only looking at developing IPM strategies for the kudzu bug in soybean, but also at its unique relationship with symbiotic bacteria. Adult females deposit bacterial packets with their eggs, and the neonates feed on these packets to acquire the bacteria, Candidatus Ishikawaella capsulata. The kudzu bug should be an informative model to study the co-evolution of insect function and behavior with that of a single bacteria species. We review kudzu bug trapping and survey methods, the development of bioassays for insecticide susceptibility, insecticide efficacy, host preferences, impact of the pest on urban environments, population expansion, and the occurrence of natural enemies. The identity of the kudzu bug in the U.S. is not clear. We propose that the kudzu bug currently accepted as M. cribraria in the U.S. is actually Megacopta punctatissima, with more work needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Assessment of a Cross-Vane Trap as a Tool for Sampling the Invasive Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in Soybean with Associated Evaluations of Female Reproductive Status.

Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) is an established pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in the southeastern United States. Populations of this pest in soybean are typically estimated using sweep nets, a time-consuming procedure. Cross-vane traps may provide an alternative to using sweep nets. The relationship between trap and sweep-net sampling, and the effect of distance from field edges on M. cribraria densities were studied in 2013 and 2014. Adults were detected in the traps up to 3 wk before they were present in the sweep-net samples. Adults and nymphs collected from trap and sweep-net sampling decreased from the field edge toward the field interior. Across all dates and distances, there was a strong positive association between the two sampling methods (r = 0.60), but only 36% of location analyses by week showed significant association. Females collected using both sampling methods were dissected and rated based on egg development. Female populations of all reproductive maturities dispersed into soybean, but proportions varied with sampling method. Results provide a foundation for work into understanding dispersal cues, with implications for management in soybean. Cross-vane traps may serve as an early-season tool to monitor populations, but more studies are needed before robust sampling recommendations can be defined.

Phenotyping Techniques and Identification of Soybean Resistance to the Kudzu Bug

The kudzu bug (KZB), Megacopta punctatissima Montandon 1896, is a newly invasive Asian pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] in the southeastern United States. Due to the unique biology of this soybean pest, six screening techniques were tested to identify host plant resistance (HPR) to KZB. Soybean lines previously characterized as resistant to either leaf‐chewing or piercing–sucking insects were used to test screening techniques and to identify potential sources of KZB resistance. Four open field experiments and one field cage experiment were conducted in 2010 to 2013 to screen ‘Benning’ near‐isogenic lines (NILs) for KZB resistance. These NILs possess different combinations of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance to leaf‐chewing insects from PI 229358 (QTLs M, G, and H) and PI 227687 (QTL E); however, none of these lines were consistently effective at controlling KZB. Additionally, 30 plant introductions (PIs) with previously observed resistance to either the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) or the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius) were screened in the field for KZB resistance. Six lines were identified as potential sources of resistance to KZB from this field using a KZB index. A no‐choice (antibiosis) assay was developed to confirm resistance observations from the field and to characterize the type of host plant resistance. PI 567336A and PI 567598B were confirmed as the most resistant of the screened PIs, and were characterized as having antibiosis resistance to KZB.

Estimation of Median Lethal Concentration of Three Isolates of Beauveria bassiana for Control of Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae) Bioassayed on Solid Lygus spp. Diet.

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.), is an urban nuisance and significant agricultural pest. The median lethal concentrations of three strains of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo), including the Mississippi Delta native strain (NI8) isolated from Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), the commercial strain BotaniGard® (GHA) (Victor, NY, USA), and the B. bassiana strain isolated from M. cribraria (KUDSC), were estimated on kudzu bug adults. A technique developed to evaluate B. bassiana against L. lineolaris was used. Younger adults (eight days after collection) were treated with NI8 and GHA and older adult (50 days after collection) were treated with NI8, GHA and KUDSC. Higher concentrations (n × 106, n × 107) of NI8 and GHA caused kudzu bug mortality two days after treatment in younger adults and similar concentrations of NI8, GHA, and KUDSC caused mortality one day after treatment in older adults. Lower concentrations (n × 104, n × 105) were not significantly different in mortality between strains. LS50 values of the KUDSC were significantly lower than NI8 and GHA values in older adults. This is the first available information on median lethal concentration of B. bassiana on kudzu bug adults bioassayed on artificial diet. It was determined that B. bassiana (KUDSC and NI8) are highly effective for young adults at very low doses (LC50 1.98–4.98 viable spores per mm2).

Greenhouse Study to Determine the Host Range of the Kudzu Bug,Megacopta cribraria(Heteroptera: Plataspidae)

Summary Field-collected adult kudzu bugs, Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Heteroptera: Plataspidae), were exposed over a 5 to 6 wk period to 21 potted plant species in a greenhouse. Egg masses were deposited and nymphs completed development to the adult stage on kudzu, soybean, alfalfa, white clover, white sweet clover, red clover, perennial peanut, and American joint vetch. However, corn, sorghum, tomato, bell pepper, Johnsongrass, perennial ryegrass, partridge pea, garden pea, rattlepods, stylo, crimson clover, hairy indigo, and Florida beggarweed were not utilized by the kudzu bug as reproductive hosts. Implications and potential damage to Florida commercial crops and forages are reviewed.

Parasitism ofMegacopta cribraria(Hemiptera: Plataspidae) byParatelenomus saccharalis(Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) in Organic Soybean Plots in Georgia, USA

Summary Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) is a newly invasive, exotic pest of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.; Fabales: Fabaceae) in the southeastern United States. In 2013, the exotic egg parasitoid Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) was discovered parasitizing eggs of this pest in kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata [Willd.] Maesen & S. Almeida; Fabales: Fabaceae) and soybean in 3 states in this region of the United States. We evaluated parasitism of M. cribraria egg masses by P. saccharalis in conventional tillage and no-till organic soybean experimental plots in 2013. Density of M. cribraria egg masses was significantly higher in conventional tillage soybean than in no-till soybean in weeks 2 through 5 for the 7 wk period M. cribraria egg masses were detected on soybean. Percentage of parasitism of M. cribraria egg masses by P. saccharalis was significantly higher in conventional tillage soybean (58.4%) than in no-till soybean (44.9%). In general, parasitism...

Ability of Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) to Cling to Different Surfaces against Extreme Wind

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius), is native to Asia but recently invaded the US and is expanding its distribution rapidly. To assess the probability of this bug traveling by attaching to the exteriors of fast-moving vehicles, we investigated the ability of M. cribraria adults to cling to stages with different surfaces (cloth, metal, or glass) against extreme airflows in a transparent acrylic tube connected to a vacuum cleaner. On the stages with cloth and metal, insects remained on the stages at 100 km/h wind speed. Estimated wind velocities required to blow 50 % of insects from the stages within 1 min were more than 100 km/h (cloth); 60 km/h (metal); and 40 km/h (glass) for males and 100 km/h (cloth); 50 km/h (metal); and 30 km/h (glass) for females. Together with frequent observations of attached M. cribraria on vehicle exteriors in the field, our results indicate a fairly high probability of range expansion of this species by attachment to vehicles.

Management of Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) at Different Stages of Soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) Development.

The invasive plataspid Megacopta cribraria (F.) is now distributed throughout much of the southeastern United States. While it readily feeds and develops on the invasive weed kudzu, Puereria montana (Loureiro) Merrill var. lobata (Willdenow), M. cribraria is an economic pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill. Differences in the susceptibility of soybean to M. cribraria -induced yield reductions based on plant phenology were assessed using two experimental protocols in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina from 2011 to 2013 in which soybeans were protected from M. cribraria using insecticides during different stages of plant phenology. In the first protocol, where insecticide applications were initiated at progressively later stages in soybean development depending on treatment, yields in the untreated plots were reduced by an average of 13% compared with plots that were protected beginning at full flowering (R2). Soybean plots that were protected beginning at 4 wk after full flowering or earlier did not suffer yield reductions from M. cribraria . In the second protocol, where insecticide applications began at R2 and were discontinued at progressively later stages in soybean development depending on treatment, yields in the untreated plots were reduced by an average of 12% compared with plots that were protected until 8 wk after R2. Plots in which protection was discontinued beginning at 4 wk after full flowering or later did not suffer yield reductions. The period from two to 6 wk after R2 (generally coinciding with pod and seed development - stages R3-R5) was identified as critical for management of M. cribraria .

Host Plant Resistance to Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in Diverse Soybean Germplasm Maturity Groups V Through VIII.

Initially discovered in Georgia in 2009, the exotic invasive plataspid, Megacopta cribraria (F.), has become a serious pest of soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merrill). Managing M. cribraria in soybean typically involves the application of broad-spectrum insecticides. Soybean host plant resistance is an attractive alternative approach; however, no commercial soybean cultivars have been identified as resistant. During 2013 and 2014, we compared 40 and 44 soybean genotypes, respectively, for resistance to M. cribraria in a split-plot design under natural insect infestation in small-plot experiments. Soybean genotypes were selected to maximize diversity with respect to maturity group, pubescence type, leaf shape, seed size, nitrogen fixation, drought tolerance, seed protein content, and pest resistance. Megacopta cribraria egg masses, nymphs, and adults were counted during the growing season to identify potentially resistant soybean genotypes. Soybean seed yield was measured in insecticide-protected and unprotected conditions to determine tolerance to M. cribraria feeding. In both years, a range of host plant resistance was observed. The fewest M. cribraria adults and nymphs were found on narrow-leaf, small-seeded cultivars 'N7103' and 'Vance,' as well as the nonnodulating cultivar 'Nitrasoy.' Additionally, N7103 and Vance were among the least susceptible genotypes to M. cribraria oviposition in the field. Most 'Benning' cultivar insect-resistant near-isogenic breeding lines also displayed moderate levels of resistance to M. cribraria . Seed yields of Vance and N7103 were less affected by M. cribraria in 2013 than most other soybean genotypes. These results may be useful to soybean breeders to develop cultivars with resistance to M. cribraria.

Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) Population Dynamics in Soybeans as Influenced by Planting Date, Maturity Group, and Insecticide Use.

Since its unintentional introduction during 2009, Megacopta cribraria (F.) has spread rapidly throughout the southeastern United States, mainly feeding and reproducing on kudzu, Pueraria montana Loureiro (Merr.) variety lobata (Willdenow), and soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Megacopta cribraria has become a serious economic pest in soybeans, forcing growers to rely solely on insecticide applications to control this insect. The main objective of this study was to investigate if variation in planting date and maturity group of soybeans had an impact on management of M. cribraria populations. Three experimental fields were located in North Carolina (2) and South Carolina (1), and the tests replicated during 2012 and 2013. Treatments consisted of three planting dates, four maturity groups, and insecticide treated versus untreated, at each location. More M. cribraria were found in untreated early planted soybeans than late planted soybeans. Generally, maturity group did not influence population densities of M. cribraria. Yield was significantly influenced by the interaction between planting date and maturity group. There was a negative linear relationship between M. cribraria populations and soybean yield. Although early planted soybeans may avoid drought conditions and potentially large populations of defoliators, these fields may be at greater risk for infestation by M. cribraria.

Ecology and Management of Kudzu Bug (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in Southeastern Soybeans.

Kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria Fabricius (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), is an invasive exotic pest of soybeans that has been present in the southeastern United States since 2009 and has been rapidly spreading through soybean-producing states. Their primary reproductive hosts in the United States are soybean, kudzu, pigeon pea, black eye pea, lima bean, pinto bean, wisteria, white sweet clover, white clover, red clover, alfalfa, perennial peanut, and American joint vetch. In soybeans, the kudzu bug feeds on vascular fluids at the stem, petiole, and nodes, causing yield losses of up to 60%. The current management recommendation for this pest includes spraying of pyrethroids such as bifenthrin, but this method is not environmentally friendly, as this negatively impacts beneficial insect populations. Sustainable management tactics, including the development of economic thresholds for insecticide sprays, assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of this pest, manipulating cultivation practices, use of biological control, and host plant resistance, are currently being explored. We present an overview of the ecology of the kudzu bug in soybeans and available management tactics to assist with the management of this potentially devastating pest of soybeans as it spreads westward.