This publication was funded in part by the South Dakota Soybean Utilization Council. For growers who prefer to get information online, Catangui has created an Internet site dedicated to managing the bean leaf beetle in South Dakota. Scouting must be continued accordingly. Beetles on the field right now will over-winter in soil litter and shelterbelts and will feed again on next year s soybean seedlings. Catangui cautioned growers considering treatment this close to harvest to be aware of pre-harvest interval of whatever product they intend to use.
Scientists assume that there are two broods or generations of bean leaf beetles in South Dakota.
They are most numerous starting in August when soybeans are in their pod-fill stage of development, Catangui said. Bean leaf beetles are native to the United States. Their host plants include soybeans, edible beans, clover, corn, peanut, and several leguminous weeds. In the Midwest, bean leaf beetles were first reported clipping and feeding on pods in the 1970s. It was soon learned that this type of injury, along with defoliation early in the season, could make bean leaf beetles important pests of soybeans.