Soybean Gall Midge: New Pest of Soybean in Nearby States

Producers in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota have been dealing with gall midges in soybean. This is a fly in the family Cecidomyiidae, which is the same family as the Hessian fly, sorghum midge, and several other agricultural pests. We have not confirmed any infestations of this insect in Illinois at this time; the closest confirmed, damaging infestations that I know of are in western Iowa. However, because so little is known about the biology of this insect, producers should learn to identify it in case it does show up in Illinois. The following links to material produced by my colleagues in Iowa and Nebraska contain information on the identification and distribution of this insect pest; if you find any potential infestations within Illinois, please let me know at the contact information below. Happy scouting!

https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/2018/07/new-soybean-pest-iowa-soybean-gall-midge

https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2018/orange-gall-midge-soybeans

Author:

Nick Seiter nseiter@illinois.edu (217) 300-7199

Research Assistant Professor, Field Crop Entomology