Interaction of kudzu, Pueraria lobata var. montana, with the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, as a pest of soybeans

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria F. is an Old World pest of soybeans originating from East Asia. In 2009 adult M. cribraria were discovered in Northeast Georgia aggregating on homes near patches of kudzu. Kudzu and soybean are the primary hosts of kudzu bug in the U.S. In this study the role kudzu plays as a source of kudzu bug infestations in soybean fields in GA was investigated. Flight intercept traps were placed near kudzu patches and soybean fields. Adults collected in flight intercept traps at soybean and kudzu locations were counted weekly from 2012 to 2014. Traps were monitored from late spring to late fall. Adults and nymphs were counted from sweep samples and egg masses from kudzu shoot tips. Kudzu bug nymphs and egg masses were enumerated from whole plant counts in soybean and adults from sweep samples. Two generations occur on kudzu and one to two on soybean depending on planting date. In this study we examine the relationship kudzu plays in soybean infestation.