Kent Fothergill

First Records of Piezodorus guildinii 1 in Missouri

Redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), is an important pest of soybean, Glycine max L., in South America (Panizzi and Slansky 1985b, Arroyo and Kawamura 2003) and Louisiana (Paxton et al. 2007). The ability to utilize numerous host plants (Panizzi and Slansky 1985b, Panizzi 1997) allows early season reproduction before redbanded stink bug moves into soybeans at the preferred stage of plant growth. Seed quality and yield are reduced because redbanded stink bug prefer to feed on fruiting structures (Panizzi and Slansky 1985a, Corrêa-Ferreira and de Azevedo 2002). Application of insecticide to protect soybean yield can reduce grower profits (Paxton et al. 2007) The redbanded stink bug has been found in Florida (Panizzi and Slansky 1985b) and Georgia (McPherson et al. 1993). In 2000, redbanded stink bug was observed in south-central Louisiana (Temple et al. 2007). By 2004, redbanded stink bug had increased to outbreak levels across the south-central parishes and reached the northeastern corner of Louisiana. In 2005, redbanded stink bugs were documented in Arkansas and continue to be found in southern Arkansas soybeans (Smith et al. 2009). In 2009, redbanded stink bug was found during surveys of late-planted fields R6-7 (Fehr et al. 1971) soybeans in Dunklin and New Madrid counties, MO (Table 1). These occurrences were the first records of redbanded stink bug in Missouri. Soybean field locations were determined using a Garmin eTrex GPS (Garmin Ltd., Olathe, KS). Sixteen fields in six southeastern Missouri counties were surveyed by sweep net (200 sweeps per field) for late-season stink bugs. Adult stink bugs with the exception of redbanded stink bug were identified using McPherson (1982). J. E. McPherson (personal communication) confirmed the identification of the redbanded stink bug adults. The few stink bug nymphs encountered were not identified or counted.

Lady Beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) Occurrences in Southeastern Missouri Agricultural Systems: Differences between 1966 and Present

ABSTRACT Several species of lady beetles are of conservation concern due to the extirpation of some species from large areas of North America. Historical lady beetle specimens from New Madrid and Pemiscot Counties, Missouri were examined and compared to recent captures. Adalia bipunctata (L.), Anatis mali (Say), Anatis labiculata (Say), and Coccinella novemnotata Herbst were present historically, but have not been collected since 1970. Coccinella septempunctata L., Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), and Neoharmonia venusta (Melsheimer) are relative newcomers to the study area. The non-native species, C. septempunctata and H. axyridis, combined accounted for the majority of lady beetle captures within the study area during 2008 and 2009. The implications of the historical data with regard to these changes are discussed.

Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): a First Kansas Record

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) is a non-native, pentatomid pest in North America and is commonly known as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (ESA, 2011), or BSMB. It was first documented in North America from Allentown, Pennsylvania during fall of 1996 (Hoebeke and Carter, 2003). Eaton (2011) lists detection of H. halys in 33 of the United States: all states east of the Mississippi River and also: Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. Since 2005, H. halys has also been detected multiple times in California, but it is not known to be established (Daugherty, 2011). Halyomorpha halys was first discovered in Pennsylvania as a nuisance over-wintering in human homes (Hoebeke and Carter, 2003); it is also gaining notoriety because it has potential to be a serious agricultural pest (Nielsen and Hamilton, 2009). On 29 September 2011, at approximately 17:30, one adult individual of H. halys was found on a wall in the gas station, EZ GO #70, at mile marker 209 of the Kansas Turnpike in Douglas County, Kansas in the city of Lawrence by KVT and KF. The specimen was retained and resides in the collection of KVT. Further searching of the area and inquiring with employees did not yield additional specimens. The specimen was identified using characters in Hoebeke and Carter (2003). That this occurrence is the first record of H. halys for Kansas is supported by BM’s communications with the Kansas State University entomology faculty and search of the Kansas State University insect collection. Hoebeke and Carter (2003) postulate that shipping containers from China, Korea, or Japan may have introduced H. hayls into North America. It was first found in Nebraska in a shipping crate (Nebraska State Insect Records Database 2012) which is consistent with this postulate. Our Kansas record, along a major route for interstate commerce, may also have resulted from phoresy associated with human activity. This manuscript provides a reference point of when H. halys was first detected within the state of Kansas. Future searches will likely discover more individuals and possibly even established populations.

Distribution of the long-horned beetle, Dectes texanus, in soybeans of Missouri, Western Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

Abstract The long-horned beetle, Dectes texanus LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a stem-boring pest of soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merrill (Fabales: Fabaceae). Soybean stems and stubble were collected from 131 counties in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee and dissected to determine D. texanus infestation rates. All states sampled had D. texanus present in soybeans. Data from Tennessee and Arkansas showed sample infestations of D. texanus averaging nearly 40%. Samples from Missouri revealed higher infestation in the twelve southeastern counties compared to the rest of the state. Data from Mississippi suggested that D. texanus is not as problematic there as in Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. Infestation rates from individual fields varied greatly (0–100%) within states. In Tennessee, second crop soybeans (i.e. soybeans planted following winter wheat) had lower infestations than full season soybeans. A map of pest distribution is presented that documents the extent of the problem, provides a baseline from which changes can be measured, contributes data for emergency registration of pesticides for specific geographic regions, and provides useful information for extension personnel, crop scouts, and growers.

CLOVER STEM BORER, LANGURIA MOZARDI (COLEOPTERA: LANGURIIDAE), ON SOYBEANS, GLYCINE MAX : A NEW HOST RECORD

The clover stem borer, Languria mozardi Latreille (Coleoptera: Languriidae), is a widespread, native North American beetle (Wildermuth & Gates 1920; Vaurie 1948). The adult feeds primarily on pollen and foliage of its host plant but has been observed feeding on corn silks (Zea mays L.) and wheat heads (Triticum sp. L.) (Wildermuth & Gates 1920). Larvae tunnel inside the stem of host plants, feeding on the pith and softer inner portions of stem. Stem tunnels can be 75 cm in alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. (Wildermuth & Gates 1920). Economic injury to forage crops can result from the tunneling activity of larvae (Wildermuth & Gates 1920) but Folsom (1909) viewed L. mozardi as being of secondary importance, if at all, in clover. Languria mozardi is uni voltine in the Eastern United States and trivoltine in the South-western United States (Wildermuth & Gates 1920). Overwintering is typically as adults under leaf litter and debris, but overwintering of larvae in stems has been reported (Wildermuth & Gates 1920). Larvae mature within the host stem; pupate in the stem, and adults eclose and spend the first 23 d of adult life within the stem (Wildermuth & Gates 1920). Languria mozardi has a wide host range including plants in the families: Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Campanulaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, and Urticaceae (Folsom 1909; Wildermuth & Gates 1920; Vaurie 1948; Ward et al. 2007). Vaurie (1948) reported a dead adult in the erect stem of a soybean in South Carolina in Nov (no year or date mentioned), but did not list soybean as a larval host plant. Below we present documentation of L. mozardi utilizing soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. as a host plant. During soybean stem dissection to detect Dectes texanus LeConte in Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas, we found L. mozardi within stems (Table 1). The larva and pupae were reared to adulthood and adults are housed as specimens in the University of Missouri Delta Research Center collection with the exception of record 1 which was documented photographically (Fig. 1). Vaurie (1948) was used to key all adult specimens to L. mozardi.

Dolichomitus irritator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): a new parasite of Dectes texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in soybeans.

The Ichneumonidae is a large insect family with over 4,900 species in the Nearctic region (Yu et al. 2005). Ichneumonids are obligate parasit oids, or hyperparasitoids, but they have not been used as successfully as classical biological control agents as hymenopteran families within Chal cidoidea and the Braconidae (Daly et al. 1998). Dolichomitus irritator (F.) (Ichneumonidae: Pim plinae) is common in woodland and brush habi tats in eastern North America (Townes & Townes 1960) and occurs south to Costa Rica (Cancino et al. 2010). Dolichomitus irritator larvae are exter nal parasites (Chittenden 1893) of larvae of wood boring insects (Townes & Townes 1960). Table 1 lists previously known insect hosts on which de velopment of D. irritator has been witnessed or implied and the associated plant relationship. Unequivocal host records are very difficult to at tain for parasites of wood boring insects and these records are often inferred from rearing parasite and host in the same logs. Dectes texanus LeConte, is a native, univoltine, cerambycid beetle that, as a larva, primarily feeds within herbaceous plants in the Asteraceae over much of North America (Lingafelter 2007). Falter (1969) and Hatchett et al. (1973) first docu mented a host switch from plants in Asteraceae to soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.; Fabales: Fabaceae). Since then, D. texanus larvae have been noted as a pest of soybeans in 14 U.S. states (Buschman & Sloderbeck 2010). Several species of braconids, ichneumonids, and pteromalids are known to parasitize D. texanus larvae in gi ant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) (Hatchett et al. 1975); however, in soybean D. texanus larvae are known to be parasitized only by pteromalid wasps (Undall, unpublished data) and a tachinid fly, Zelia tricolor (Coquillett) (Tindall & Fother gill 2010). Discovery of parasitoids of D. texanus larvae within soybeans offers opportunity for producers to manage for biological control within soybean production systems. Soybean stems (i.e., stubble) were collected from a soybean field harvested in the fall of 2009 on 23 Mar 2010 in New Madrid County, Missouri (N 36.42482° W -89.64933°). From this set, 480 were selected based on the presence of a frass plug, an indicator of occupancy by D. texanus (Hatchett et al. 1975), and subsequently kept in an insect rearing room (16:8 h L:D, 24 °C). Five D. irritator were recovered from these stems (Table 2). Three additional individuals were found dur ing other stubble-based D. texanus survey work from soybean stems from the same field (Table 2). The D. irritator specimens recovered were sent to the American Entomological Institute (Gainesville, Florida) for identification by Dr. Da vid Wahl. Six of the specimens were retained by the American Entomological Institute collection and 2 are deposited in the collection of KVT. D. texanus as the insect host for these D. irritator is

The Influence of Exotic Lady Beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Establishment on the Species Composition of the Native Lady Beetle Community in Missouri

Abstract The diversity and abundance of native lady beetles (Coccinellidae) in North America has declined in recent decades. This decline is often correlated with the introduction and establishment of exotic lady beetle species, including Coccinella septempunctata L. and Harmonia axyridis Pallas, suggesting that exotic species precipitated the decline of native lady beetles. We examined species records of native coccinellids in Missouri over 118 yr and asked whether the species composition of the community experienced a shift following the establishment of the exotic species. We found that the contemporary native coccinellid community is different from the community that was present nearly a century ago. However, there was no evidence for a recent abrupt shift in composition triggered by the establishment of exotic species. Instead, our data suggest that the native lady beetle community has been undergoing consistent and gradual change over time, with some species decreasing in abundance and others increasing. While not excluding exotic species as a factor contributing to the decline of native lady beetle species, our findings suggest that other continuous factors, like land use change, may have played a more influential role in determining the composition of the native coccinellid communities within our region.

Review of a New Pest of Rice, Tadpole Shrimp (Notostraca: Triopsidae), in the Midsouthern United States and a Winter Scouting Method of Rice Fields for Preplanting Detection

Tadpole shrimp, Triops longicaudatus (LeConte), are a species of temporary, freshwater habitats. Tadpole shrimp are pests of rice production systems in California and have recently been found impacting Missouri rice fields and present in northeastern Arkansas rice fields. These impacts take the form of stand reduction by direct feeding on seedlings and uprooting seedlings during foraging. In addition, their foraging behavior causes water to become muddy, which reduces light penetration to submerged seedlings and consequently delays the development of the rice plant. Once rice is past the seedling stage, tadpole shrimp may be beneficial. This article provides information on the life cycle of tadpole shrimp, describes a new method for scouting for tadpole shrimp in rice fields, and provides scouting results and management implications.

The Nutritional Ecology of Dectes texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): Does Host Choice Affect the Macronutrient Levels in Overwintering Larvae?

Abstract Dectes texanus LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a stem-boring cerambycid that is an agricultural pest of soybean and cultivated sunflower. For D. texanus, cultivated sunflower is thought to be nutritionally superior to soybean and preferred over soybean. This study compared the macronutrient levels in overwintering larvae and the pith of the host plants to determine if soybean is an inferior host. The levels of total protein, total carbohydrates, and total lipids were measured in larvae from sunflower and soybean; larval head capsule width and larval mass also were compared. There were no differences between levels of total protein and total carbohydrates per unit mass between larvae from the 2 hosts; however, larvae from sunflower had significantly higher levels of lipids than larvae from soybean. A comparison of head capsule width indicated that larvae from soybean had significantly larger head capsule widths than those from sunflower, suggesting that soybean-fed larvae were larger or were in a later instar. Larvae from soybean and sunflower did not have significantly different masses, unlike what was found in pupae in previous studies. Soybean pith had significantly higher protein and carbohydrate levels whereas sunflower pith had a significantly higher level of lipids. The results suggest that the nutritional differences between the 2 host plants did affect the nutritional content and possibly growth or development rates in D. texanus before diapause.

An Unusual Habitat Record for the Land Snail, Columella simplex (Gould, 1841) (Stylommatophora: Pupillidae), from Arkansas

Abstract. An individual snail shell of Columella simplex (Gould, 1841) was discovered inside of a soybean stem from no-till field in Crittenden County, Arkansas. The shell was found on top of the frass plug of an overwintering chamber of the cerambycid beetle, Dectes texanus.