1975/03/17 by J. H. Hatchett, D. M. Daugherty, James C. Robbins +4 · 2 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Insect-Plant Interactions and Control #Forest Insect Ecology and Management #Hemiptera Insect Studies
paper · doi:10.1093/aesa/68.2.209
Dectes texanus LeConte, a cerambycid associated with ragweed, Ambrosia spp., and a new pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., in Missouri, has 1 generation per year and overwinters as a mature or partially-grown larva within the lower portion of the soybean stem. Larvae pupate inside the stems from mid-June to early August. Adults emerge ca. 2 wk after pupation from late June to mid-August, and mating and oviposition begin in early July. Eggs are laid in the pith of leaf petioles, side branches, and primary stems of soybeans. Measurements of the head capsules of field-collected larvae indicate six instars. Larvae feed on pith and bore throughout the plant from late July to mid-October. Larvae are cannabalistic and only 1 survives in a single plant. Before overwintering and about the time plants are mature and ready for harvest, the larva girdles the stem near ground level; this causes the plant to break off at the slightest pressure. Seven species of hymenopteran parasites representing the families Braconidae, Pteromalidae, and Ichneumonidae were reared from larvae.