Soybean Aphid In Kentucky
	Photo courtesy of Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sources for Information -

2006 - Current Expectations for Kentucky
Soybean Aphid or Thrips?

What Will the Soybean Aphid Bring to Kentucky in 2006?

Soybean Aphid Over-Wintering for 2005-2006: A Preview

Insecticides for Use Against Soybean Aphid on Soybeans in Kentucky

KY Joins With Other States to Add Soybean Aphid to the Soybean Rust Sentinel System

Kentucky Joins North Central States in Monitoring Flights of Soybean Aphid

2005
Soybean Aphid Has Arrived in Kentucky

Using the Minnesota Speed Scout Method for Making Control Decisions on Soybean Aphid in Soybeans

Soybean Aphid in Kentucky: What Will 2005 Bring?

Implications of Soybean Rust Control Measures on Insect Populations

2004
Kentucky Pest News article gives the current expectations for the Soybean Aphid in Kentucky for this year. Additional articles will appear in Kentucky Pest News as new information becomes available.

Identification
Wingless soybean aphids are soft-bodied, teardrop shaped and adults are approximately 1/16 inch in length. The young are much smaller. Their color varies from pale yellow to green, and have dark-tipped cornicles (tailpipes) on the rear of the abdomen. These aphids feed through piercing-sucking mouthparts and have both wingless and winged forms. The soybean aphid is the only aphid in Kentucky that produces offspring on soybeans. Therefore, any colony of aphids found on soybeans must be that of the soybean aphid.

How to Find Soybean Aphids
When the aphids are in small numbers it is often easier to find them by looking for ants and/or lady beetles. Ants "tend" the aphids like we herd cattle. The ants collect the honeydew produced by the aphids, and protect the aphids from predators. Additionally, several species of lady beetles are good at locating small populations of soybean aphids. Since the lady beetles are larger and easier to see, they may be easier to find and are usually found where there is food!!

Insect Management Recommendations for Soybean Aphid
For current recommendations and listing of insecticides available for use against soybean aphids, view the Insect Management Recommendations. For information on insecticides to use on all Kentucky field crops and livestock, visit Insect Management Recommendations for Field Crops and Livestock. For print copies contact your local County Extension Office.

To view a pictorial display of soybean plant stages and soybean aphid infestations, click HERE to view the publication developed by University of Wisconsin Extension Service. University of Kentucky Extension Specialists have reviewed this information and the plant stage depictions and aphid infestation thresholds from this publication are appropriate for use in Kentucky.

Illinois Soybean Aphid pages
For a look closer to home, visit the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension - Integrated Pest Management Soybean Aphid pages. Pay particular attention to the counties in southern Illinois.

Scientific Publications
In March 2004 the Entomological Society of America published a series of papers concerning the known biology of the Soybean Aphid in America. You can view these papers by going to the ESA's Publications web site, select Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Online Edition (1999-Current). Next, select "All Issues" then select "Vol.97, Issue 2, March 2004". At this point you will be viewing the table of contents for the journal. The first nine papers are reports of work on soybean aphid. You may click on the title to see the abstracts.
To read about an important predator of soybean aphid in Kentucky, go to ESA's Publications, select Journal of Economic Entomology, Online Edition (1999-Current). Next, under Journal of Economic Entomology, select "all issues", then select "Vol.96, Issue 1, February 2003". At this point you will be viewing the table of contents for the journal. You are looking for the third paper in the list beginning on page 21.

NOTE: These (but not all) publications by the ESA may be obtained for free by downloading the pdf file to your computer. Look for the "Free pdf" icon when viewing an abstract.

	Original document: 17June 2004 Last updated: 11 June 2007