Megacopta cribraria; Will Anything Eat the Bug That Eats the Plant That Ate the South?

Megacopta cribraria is native to Asia where it is a minor pest of soybeans and other legume crops. Since its introduction into the Southeastern U.S. in 2009, the kudzu bug has become an economically important pest of soybeans. Kudzu bug is bivoltine on kudzu and completes one to two generations per year on soybean depending on planting date. Populations build to alarming numbers on early planted soybeans and feeding causes indirect yield loss. In urban areas associated with kudzu, kudzu bugs are seen aggregating on the sides of homes in spring and fall. In the absence of natural enemies it has rapidly spread from Northeast Georgia to thirteen Southeastern states. Generalist predators, prathogens, and adult parasitoids have been observed attacking kudzu bugs in the field and laboratory. Efforts to find native and exotic biological control species have been undertaken by university and federal entities.  Egg masses collected from several locations around Georgia in 2010 and 2011 were observed for parasitism though none was detected. Searches for a classical biological control agent provided candidates in the families Platygastridae and Encyrtidae. Screening of native species suitability as hosts determined Paratelenomous saccharalis had narrow host range, attacking only plataspids. A year ahead of the approved date of release P. saccharalis, populations unrelated to quarantine colonies were detected in middle Georgia in 2013 followed by detections in MS and AL. Efforts to recover wild populations of the parasitoid in 2014 yielded a complete lack of specimens though monitoring will continue in years to come.