Soybean gall midge larvae was found in Atchison County last week. This is a new soybean insect pest that we know very little about. This pest has been reported in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota.
This pest is typically found along soybean field edges. The adult resembles a mosquito, in my opinion, but the larvae is the stage which injures soybeans. The larvae appear as small orange worms at the base of the plant. These are very small but the orange color allows you to see them easily.
These pests can cause damage just above the soil line of the growing soybean plant causing it to wilt or break over. Soybean plants may survive with the larvae injuring the base of the plant.
One should watch for injury to soybeans and if you see symptoms, break the soybean stem and look for small orange worms. Once worms have infested soybean plants, insecticide applications will not control the pest.
Please call the Holt County Extension office at 660-446-3724 if you find this insect pest. We need your help to identify how far this pest is spreading so we can conduct survey work. For more information, please contact Wayne Flanary, Field Specialist in Agronomy at 660-446-3724, University of Missouri Extension.