MAJOR INSECT PESTS OF SOYBEANS

1. WHITE FLY

Common name: Whiteflies

Scientific name: Trialeurodes vaporariorum
Family: Aleyrodidae
Order: Hemiptera

Description
 Adult- This are small sap-feeding insects between 1-3 mm in length. Their bodies and wings are
covered in a white waxy powder although there are species that have a dark grey covering, they
are known as blackflies.
 Egg- These are yellowish white laid singly on the under surface of the leaves. They are stalked and
sub elliptical in shape.
 Nymph- these are yellowish and brownish, sub elliptical and scale like.
 Pupa- These are also resemble nymphs in shape and have brownish opercula.

Characteristics of Damage
White flies cause damage to cotton plants in two ways firstly by sucking the sap and secondly by
excreting honey dew on which sooty mold grows. Damage from direct feeding reduces the photosynthetic
activities of the plant and hence the yield. Indirect damage results from lint contamination with honeydew
and associated fungi and through transmission of leaf curl virus disease. Late season severity affects the
seed development and the lint quality.

Life cycle
 Adult whiteflies are about 1⁄10 to 1⁄16 inch long and have four broad, delicate wings and are
covered with a white powdery wax. Adult females usually lay between 200 and 400 eggs. Sometimes the
eggs are deposited in a circular pattern in groups of 30 to 40 because the female will often keep her
mouthparts in the plant to feed while moving her abdomen in a circle.
Within about a week, the eggs hatch into flattened nymphs, called crawlers, that wander on the plant.
Soon, they insert their mouthparts into the plant and begin to feed. After their first molt, the nymphs lose
their legs and antennae. They attach themselves to the undersides of leaves with several wax-like rods
coming from their bodies, giving them the appearance of small white oval scale. The nymphs remain fixed
to the plant and feed for about four weeks. After a pupa stage, the adults emerge and live for about one
month.

Management control
Management of heavy whitefly infestations is difficult. The best strategy is to prevent problems from
developing in your garden or landscape. In many situations, natural enemies will provide adequate control
of whiteflies; outbreaks often occur when natural enemies are disrupted by insecticide applications, dusty
conditions, or interference by ants. Avoid or remove plants that repeatedly host high populations of
whiteflies.
 2. Silverleaf whitefly

Common name: Silverleaf whitefly

Scientific name: Bemisia tabaci
Family: Aleyrodidae
Order: Hemiptera

Description
 Adult- The adults are tiny (0.06 inch, 1.5 mm long), yellowish insects with white wings.
Sweetpotato whiteflies hold their wings somewhat vertically tilted, or rooflike, over the body and
the wings do not meet over the back but have a small space separating them.
 Egg- The tiny, oval eggs hatch into a first larval stage that has legs and antennae and is mobile.
Both legs and antennae are lost after the first molt and subsequent stages remain fixed to the leaf
surface.
 Nymph- The last nymphal stage, often called the "pupa" or the red-eye nymph, is the stage that
is easiest to identify. Mature nymphs of sweetpotato whitefly are oval, whitish, soft, and have few
to no long waxy filaments.

Characteristics of Damage
Feeding by SLW causes severe damage to vegetable crops through:

 direct effect of feeding on plants

 injecting into plants a toxin which causes physiological damage
 producing honeydew which encourages sooty mould that contaminates the product
 its ability to transmit Gemini viruses such as tomato leaf curl viruses (TLCV and TYLCV).

Direct feeding damage: SLW adults and nymphs suck the sap from the plant causing reduced plant vigour,
stunting, poor growth, defoliation and reduced yields. High populations may result in plant desiccation
and death.

Injecting toxic saliva: While feeding, SLW inject toxic saliva into the plant causing physiological changes
to plant tissue. On the outer skin of tomato fruit the external symptoms are green, yellow or orange
streaks or blotches. Internally, the affected fruit have white or yellow tissue. In some tomato varieties the
external symptoms may not be obvious, but internal damage is often very apparent once the fruit is cut
open.

Silvering of leaves is a common symptom on pumpkin, zucchini and squash and fruit discolouration occurs
in cucurbits and beans, pale stalks on broccoli and leaf yellowing and blanched stalks of lettuce.

Honeydew contamination: Both adults and nymphs excrete honeydew. This sugary substance can
promote the growth of sooty moulds that affect the marketability of product. Sooty mould also reduces
plant photosynthesis and the effectiveness of insecticides.
Transmission of viruses: SLW adults are efficient vectors in spreading Gemini viruses from infected plants
into healthy crops. Gemini viruses include tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV) and tomato yellow leaf curl
virus (TYLCV) that infect beans, capsicums, tomatoes and a wide range of ornamentals and weeds.

Life cycle
In warm weather the life cycle takes 18-28 days, but may take 30-48 days in winter, starting with
eggs and going through four nymphal stages until the winged adults emerge.

Adults generally emerge in the morning, males first. Emergence is temperature dependant with earlier
emergence at higher temperature. It takes about four hours before adults can fly and 10-20 hours before
the females can mate.

SLW populations build up rapidly during spring and summer. In Queensland the pest can complete 8-12
generations in a year.

Biology

Whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), are small plant-feeding insects with piercing-sucking

mouthparts, and both immature and adult whiteflies feed on the undersides of leaves. Adult whiteflies
have the ability to both walk and fly, and females lay eggs either singly in a haphazard manner or in spirals
or circles on the undersides of leaves. Whitefly eggs are ovoid and have a peg-like pedicel that is inserted
into a slit made by the female’s ovipositor in the leaf surface. Alternatively, eggs may be laid directly into
stomatal openings. A glue-like substance deposited at the base of the pedicel cements eggs in place. The
pedicel draws water into the egg from the leaf thereby preventing desiccation before hatching.

Most whitefly species are arrhenotokous, and females are produced from fertilized eggs. Males are
haploid and eclose from unfertilized eggs. The ratio of male and female whiteflies in a population changes
over time and is affected by both temperature and male longevity. Males tend to live for shorter periods
and populations appear female biased as a result.

Management control
When possible, plant potatoes at least one-half mile upwind from key silverleaf
whitefly hosts such as melons, cole crops, and cotton. Maintain good sanitation in areas of
winter/spring host crops and weeds by destroying and removing all crop residues as soon as
possible.
 3. Semilooper
Common name: Castor Semilooper
Scientific name: Achaea janata
Family: Erebidae
Order: Lepidoptera

Description
Its wingspan is about 60–70 mm. The species has a pale reddish-brown body. Forewings with
prominent markings. A short sub-basal waved line and an obliquely waved antemedial and excised
postmedial lines are present. Postmedial lines are often black suffused inside them. A speck is found at
the end of the cell. A diffuse rufous band runs beyond the postmedial line, Hindwings black with medial
white band. Three large white spots can be seen on outer margin, with whitish cilia. Ventral side grey
suffused. Forewings with an oblique white postmedial band not reaching the costa. Two crenulate medial
lines found on each wing.
Eggs are small, spherical with a greenish color. Pupa is whitish green.
Larva bluish grey speckled with blue black. Head black striped. Lateral and sub-lateral yellowish
bands with intervening blue-grey line. A dorsal black stripe bordered by reddish-white spots between
fourth and fifth somites. There is a pair of dorsal red tubercles on anal somite. Spiracles and forelegs are
red. Four larval instars are completed before pupal stage.

Characteristics of Damage
Larvae defoliate plants quickly by feeding gregariously and voraciously. Midribs and veins are
left intact and other parts of the leaves eaten up. Being larger in size, their capacity to cause damage
is enormous. Young plants cannot sustain damage and die. Adults are fruit-sucking moths that prefer
to suck juice from mango and citrus and fruits.

Life cycle
Adult moths are grayish-brown in colour with wavy lines on the fore wings. Hind wings are
black in colour and have one large median and three marginal white spots. They are medium sized
robust moths.
Eggs are round, bluish green in color, ridged and are laid singly on tender shoots, usually on the
undersurface of the leaves. Fecundity of a female is 450 eggs. Incubation period varies between 2 -5
days after which a tiny larva hatches out which is slender and yellowish-green in colour.
Young larvae are usually gregarious but as they grown they get scattered on leaves. A full grown larva
is a typical semilooper, has a bluish-black body with a black head and reddish spots on the back and a
reddish anal tubercle. Legs are missing on the median segments which makes it walk with looping
action. Sometimes there are faint reddish-brown or whitish stripes on the body.
Full grown larva measures about 7 cms. There are 5-6 instar and the whole larval period is about 15-
20 days. Pupation takes place in soil or among fallen leaves. Pupal period is 10-15 days but may be
prolonged to few months under winter conditions.

Management control
As the larvae are large and prominent on the leaves, destroying them by handpicking is quite
easy. They are also eaten by birds in large numbers.
Chemical control can be achieved by spraying endrin 0.02%, parathion 0.025% or by spraying 0.02% of
diazinon, toxaphen, carbaryl, endosulfan and methyl parathion.
Biological control involves conservation of the following parasitoids:
Egg parasites: Trichogramma evanescens. Larval parasite: Apanteles sundanus, A. ruidus, Microplitis
maculipennis, M. ensirus, M. similes, Euplectus leucostomus, Paniscus ocellaris, Zamesochorus
orientalis, Tetrastichus ophiusae, Rogas percurrens and Enicospilus sp.
 4. Bean Leaf Beetle

Common name: Bean Leaf Beetle

Scientific name: Cerotoma trifurcata
Family: Chrysomelidae
Order: Beetle

Description
 Eggs – lemon shaped, orange in color, may be found in small clusters around the base of
soybean plants.
 Larvae – grub-shaped, whitish, dark brown at both ends, segmented and have 6 very small legs
near the head. They are approximately 3/8 inch long when fully grown.
 Pupae – white and soft bodied. Pupation takes place in an earthen cell.
 Adults – reddish to yellow in color, about 1/4 inch long, usually with 4 black spots on the back
surrounded by a black band near the outer margin of the wing covers. They also have a black
triangle in the anterior margin of the wing. Adults drop to the ground when disturbed.

Characteristics of Damage
 Adults feed on the leaves causing defoliation. As defoliation increases, yield decreases.
 Adults also feed on the pods causing scarring. Pod damage can decrease yield and reduce seed
quality. Damaged pods are also predisposed to secondary infection by bacteria and fungi which
may cause rotting and discoloration.
 Bean leaf beetles are known to transmit bean pod mottle virus, cowpea mosaic virus, and
southern bean mosaic virus.
 Larvae feed on the roots and root nodules. Although this feeding can reduce nitrogen fixation, its
economic importance remains unclear.
Life Cycle
 Overwinter as adults in various habitats around soybean fields but seem to prefer leaf and plant
litter in wooded areas.
 Beetles begin emerging from overwintering sites in early April at which time they mate and
disperse to weedy and brushy areas, especially along roads and ditches. They may move into
spring legumes such as alfalfa and sweet clover.
 Beetles move into soybeans as soon as plants have emerged.
 These colonizers feed on developing leaves and cotyledons and begin laying eggs.
 Eggs are laid in the upper two inches of soil, usually within three inches of the plant stem. A
female normally lives about 40 days and lays 125 to 250 eggs.
 Eggs hatch in 4-14 days, depending on soil temperature.
  Larvae live in the soil where they feed on plant roots and have three instars.
 Larvae develop to pupae in about 23 days. Warmer soil temperatures can shorten larval
development time.
 Pupation is completed in about a week and adults emerge from the soil.
 Total developmental time from egg to adult normally ranges from 25 to 40 days.
Management control

 Remove bean leaf beetles in your garden to reduce their numbers.

 Bean leaf beetles often drop to the ground when plants are disturbed.
 Position the pail underneath the plant to catch them as they fall.
 This method may not be practical in larger gardens.
 5. Girdle Beetle

Common name: Girdle beetle

Scientific name: Oberoepsis brevis
Family: Bettle
Order: Cleoptera

Description

 Larva: White, soft-bodied worm with a dark head.

 Adult:The freshly emerged adult is yellow, red, brown on the head, thorax and bases of elytra.

Characteristics of damage
The beetle makes two girdles on the stem or sometimes on petiole. Eggs are laid between the
girdles. A tunnel is formed by the larva inside the stem as it moves down the plant. The top portion of
plant (above the girdles) dries up. The pest starts girdling and laying eggs 20-25 days after sowing of
soybean crop.

Management control

 Deep summer ploughing

 Planting time on the onset of monsoon
 Optimum seed rate (70-100 kg/ha) should be used
 Intercropping with maize or sorghum should be avoided
 Crop rotation should be followed
 Avoid excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
 Collect and destroy infested plant parts and egg masses.
 Remove the infested plant parts at least once in 10 days and bury them in compost pit to monitor
and reduce the populations of girdle beetle
 Apply phorate 10 G @ 10 kg/ha or carbofuran 3 G @ 30 kg/ha at the time of sowing.
 One or two sprays of 0.03% dimethoate 30 EC or 0.05% quinalphos 25 EC or 0.05% methyl
demeton 25 EC or 0.04% can check further damage.
 Spray quinalphos 25 EC triazophos 40 EC @ 2 ml/lit. at the crop age of 30-35 days and repeal after
15-20 days (1000 l spray/ha)
 6. Gram pod borer

Common name: Gram pod borer

Scientific name: Helicoverpa armigera
Family: Nuctuoidea
Order: Lepidoptera

Description

 Eggs – are spherical in shape and creamy white in colour, laid singly
 Pupa – brown in colour, occurs in soil, leaf, pod and crop debris
 Adult - light pale brownish yellow stout moth.
 Forewing grey to pale brown with V shaped speck.
 Hind wings are pale smoky white with a broad blackish outer margin.

Characteristics of damage

 Skeletinization of leaves – feeding chlorophyll only leaving veins by young larvae Defoliation
 Feeds flower and green pods
 In green pods – make circular holes and feed the grains and make empty.

Life cycle
 Management control
Cultural practice:
 Installation bird perches
Chemical control:
 Spray carbryl 50WP @ 4g/l of water (1kg/acre) or 1 ml methyl parathion 50EC ( 250ml/acre) or 2.5ml
chloropyriphos 20EC or 2ml endosulfan 35EC (500ml/acre) or 2 ml methomyl or 3ml profenophos 50EC
or 1 gram acephate 75 SP or per liter water.
 Spray NPV @ 250LE/acre, at the time spraying mix 0.1 % teepol and 0.5% jaggary.
 Spraying of Spinosad 45SC @ 0.1ml/lit or Indoxacarb 14.5SC @ 0.3ml/lit or Flubendiamide 48SC 0.1ml/lit
or Novacuron 10EC 1ml/lit of water.
 7. Tobacco caterpillar

Common name: Tobacco caterpillar

Scientific name: Spodoptera litura (F)
Family: Nuctuoidea
Order: Lepidoptera

Description
Adult. moths are light brown with wavy white markings on the forewings and a brown patch along the
margin of the white hind wings.

Larvae. This are grey or dark brown color.

Pupa. Is dark brown.

Life cycle
 Eggs (up to 2000 per female), laid in masses of 230-750 and covered with brown hairs. Larvae hatch in 3-
5 days and feed for about 28 days
 Larval period lasts for 2-3 weeks. Pupation occurs in soil. Pupal period is 2 weeks. Total life cycle is
completed in 30-40 days and takes 6-8 generations per year.

Characteristics of damage
Neonate larvae/ newly hatched larvae are gregarious. They scrape out the green matter in the
leaf leaving the epidermis alone. The second and third instar larvae feed by making small holes, late instar
feed on entire lamina, petiole, even the twigs on the terminal shoots of plants. During fruiting stage the
larva scrape the fruits and feed on it.

Management control
Cultural and mechanical control:
 Plough the soil to expose and kill pupae.
 Collect and destroy the egg masses, gregarious larvae and grown up caterpillars
 Set up pheromone trap @ 15/ha (sporelure)
 Set up sex pheromone trap Pherodin S.L. at 12/ha to monitor activity of the pest and to synchronise
pesticide application, if need be, at the maximum activity stage.
 Growing castor along border and irrigation bunds, as trap crop.
 Use of poison bait pellets prepared with rice bran 12.5 kg, jaggery 1.25 kg, Carbaryl 50% WP 1.25 kg and
Water 7.5 litres and spread in the fields in the evening hours so that the caterpillars coming out of the soil
feed and get killed.