Soybean Insects

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soybean pods

Best Management Practices for Soybean Production

This is your unbiased, research-based guide to soybean production to help increase yield, reduce input costs and protect your investment.

All Soybean Insects Content

Gray beetle with long antennae.

Dectes Stem Borer in South Dakota Soybeans

Fact sheet on Dectes stem borer in South Dakota soybeans

Redlegged and differential grasshopper nymphs.

Grasshoppers Are Showing up in Large Numbers in Eastern South Dakota

While scouting spring wheat in Brookings County this week, we noticed grasshopper nymph populations that were close to threshold.

Grasshopper with red hind tibia. It’s sitting on a green grass stem.

Survey of Grasshoppers in South Dakota

Fact sheet on the abundance and species diversity of grasshoppers in South Dakota

Gray beetle with long antennae.

Dectes Stem Borer in Soybean Survey: 2023 and 2024 Results

During the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons, researchers at SDSU surveyed soybean in Eastern South Dakota for the presence of Dectes stem borer adults.

A yellow beetle with a black head, and square black markings on its back standing on a soybean leaf.

South Dakota Overwintering Bean Leaf Beetle Predicted Mortality: 2024-2025

Each year we evaluate the overwintering success of bean leaf beetles in South Dakota. For adult bean leaf beetles that successfully overwintered, emergence will begin in the spring and they will move into soybean fields.

2025 Rangeland Grasshopper Hazard map. Photo Courtesy of USDA APHIS, PPQ. ALT TEXT: Map of South Dakota of Northern Great Plains and the Western United States. Colors indicate the number of grasshoppers per square yard in each of the sampled locations. For a detailed description, please call SDSU Extension at 605-688-4792.

South Dakota Grasshopper Prediction for 2025

In 2025, it is likely that grasshopper populations will once again reach levels capable of causing issues in some areas of the state. Scouting should begin shortly after planting in areas where they were problematic in 2024 and continue throughout the growing season.

A fly with a metallic body, long legs, and clear wings with smoky markings.

Flying Gems: Long-Legged Flies

Whether scouting for pests in crops or in a garden, chances are you’ve encountered a long-legged fly. These insects provide essential biocontrol of many insect pests and should be encouraged in the landscape.

A black and yellow striped fly with large red eyes resting on a flower. The fly is covered in yellow pollen.

It’s a Bee! It’s a Wasp! No, It’s a Hover Fly!

Many types of insects are responsible for some degree of pollination in landscapes. In this article, we will focus on the syrphid fly as both an important pollinator and a beneficial insect predator.

A metallic blue-green tiger beetle feeding on a light green caterpillar.

Tiger Beetles: Beneficial Predators and Ecosystem Health Indicators

Tiger beetles are generalist predators, meaning they prey on a wide variety of pests. Observing them in a landscape is a great sign that an ecosystem is healthy and supporting both prey and predators.

Top profile of an insect with an orange head and second body segment, and a shiny, almost iridescent black abdomen.

Ground Beetles: Predators That Provide Benefits in Agricultural Landscapes

For agroecosystems and gardens struggling with weeds and insect pests, ground beetles can be a beneficial predator. Learn the benefits they can bring to your landscape this growing season.