1st Place: Quantifying predation rates on soybean gall midge, a new pest of soybean in the upper Midwest

Monday, November 14, 2022

12:18 PM – 12:30 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 217/218/219

Presenting Author(s)

Sarah Lisak

Master's Student
University of Minnesota
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota

Co-Author(s)

Amelia Lindsey

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
RK

Robert L. Koch

University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a new pest in soybean found in Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri. This insect poses a threat to the soybean industry, as larvae of R. maxima damage stems of soybean plants and cause yield reductions. At this point, chemical control is not reliable and there are no pest-resistant soybean varieties available. However, biological control may be promising for this pest. One predatory species known to feed on soybean gall midge is the ground beetle, Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Carabidae), which was introduced from Europe. Laboratory predation experiments are being performed to quantify predation rates of this predator on soybean gall midge. By quantifying predation on soybean gall midge, this work will form a baseline for understanding biological control of Resseliella maxima in soybean in the Midwestern US.