Introduction Annual organic soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in the U.S. has risen to more than 150,000 acres (USDA-AMS, 2010). Critical challenges associated with organic soybean production include weed control and bean leaf beetles (Cerotoma trifurcata Förster) – primarily as vectors for the seed-staining bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) and for providing sites for other seed-staining ...

searching efficiency is a key parameter of functional response which is in turn the major components in the selection of predators and parasitoids for biological control. searching efficiency of scymnus syriacus mulsant feeding on aphis craccivora koch was determined at five different experimental arenas (i.e. 195, 247, 304, 385 and 650 cm2) on broad bean (vicia fabae l.). to do this, functiona...

Facility horticulture plays a crucial role in modern agriculture by utilizing the environment efficiently and ensuring food supply. The hoverfly Eupeodes corollae (Fabricius) (Diptera: Syrphidae) performs dual ecological function facility as larvae prey on aphids adults pollinate, but it is not widely applied due to lack of large-scale breeding technology. In this study, we investigated effects...

There is growing interest in biological control as a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to control pest insects. Aphids are among the most detrimental agricultural pests worldwide, and parasitoid wasps are frequently employed for their control. The use of asexual parasitoids may improve the effectiveness of biological control because only females kill hosts and because asexual populat...

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a significant insect pest of soybean in the north-central region of the United States and southern Canada, and if left untreated can reduce yield value by $2.4 billion annually. The soybean aphid is native to eastern Asia, where soybean was first domesticated, and was first detected in the United States in 2000. It quickly s...

The Rag1 gene confers antibiotic resistance to soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and in 2010, varieties expressing Rag1 were released for commercial use in the United States. We do not know how Rag1 varieties will influence the broader community of defoliating insects that inhabit soybean fields. In 2010 and 2011, the preference and performance of pest insects that...