Effects of soybean seed treatments and foliar applications of neonicotinoid insecticides on Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae)

Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) is an invasive insect that can cause yield losses in soybean in the southeastern United States. Guidelines for effective control of this pest recommend the use of different foliar insecticides spanning three classes: pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and organophosphates, applied at a threshold of one nymph per sweep. Neonicotinoid seed treatments are registered for use in the Southeast, but no data have been published regarding the impact of these treatments on populations of M. cribraria.  The influence of three commercially available seed treatments: clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam on populations of M. cribraria was monitored over time in a replicated/randomized trial at Clemson University’s Edisto Research Center in 2014. Egg masses of M. cribraria and other agriculturally important pests were also documented. Additionally, foliar sprays of the active ingredients used as seed treatments were applied 60 days after planting. This study is being repeated in 2015. Results will determine the effect of neonicotinoids, used as seed treatments or foliar applications, on numbers of M. cribraria and will be used to enhance recommendations for managing this insect in soybean fields throughout the Southeast.