1. Bean plataspid (Hemiptera: Plataspididae: Megacopta cribraria)
John Tooker
Penn State University

2. Wayne A. Gardner, Professor
Department of Entomology
University of Georgia
Griffin Campus
Griffin, Georgia
University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Megacopta Working Group
University of Georgia
Georgia Dept of Agriculture
Emory University
USDA Forest Service
USDA-ARS
USDA-APHIS-PPQ
Clemson University
NC State University
NC Dept of Agriculture
Wingate University
Virginia Tech
Auburn University
Dow AgroScience
University of Florida
Florida Dept of Agriculture
Mississippi State University
Mississoppi Dept of Agriculture
Tennessee Dept of Agriculture
University of Tennessee

4. Halyomorpha halys (Stål), (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

6. Bean plataspid (Hemiptera: Plataspididae: Megacopta cribraria)
Plataspididae: Old World family (mostly tropical/subtropical)
• Megacopta cribraria is only family member in N. America

7. Identification:
• Scutellum: broader along bottom than it is along top, and much wider than it is long.
• Tarsi are 2-segmented
• Round shape, not rather than triangular to semi-elliptical body shape of other stink bugs
• Distinctive head shape.
• Size: ⅙ to ¼” (3.5 - 6 mm long)

8. Scutelleridae
Shield-backed bugs
Symphylus sp.
Diolcus sp.

9. Kudzu bug (Plataspididae)
Diolcus species
(Scutelleridae)
Diolcus: head's lateral lobes of are separated ; Diolcus 2nd antennal segment is longer
Megacopta: lobes are contiguous, touch at the nose end.

10. Family Plataspididae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea)
Bean plataspid = kudzu bug
• A type of “stink bug” or “shield bug”
• Defensive chemical emission
• Strong smell
• Noticeable to some
• Smells like natural gas, cucumbers
• Can cause an occasional skin rash

11. Family Plataspididae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea)
Lifecycle:
• 2-2.5 gens in GA
• Adults overwinter (under bark or in leaf litter)
• Fly to kudzu or early planted soybeans (can fly to homes)
• When soybeans senesce, 2nd generation can be nuisance pests

12. Family Plataspididae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea)
Jeremy Greene, Clemson University
Eggs masses on kudzu
plant stipules
Phillip Roberts, University of Georgia
John Ruberson, University of Georgia

13. Development of Megacopta cribraria
First Instars
Third instar
Fourth instar
• 15 eggs per mass (females: 26-274 eggs)
• First instar consume symbiont capsules
• Five nymphal instars
Fifth instar

14. Development of Megacopta cribraria
Symbiotic capsules

15. Symbiotic capsules

16. Initial Discovery, October 2009
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Samples sent to UGA Diagnostics Lab
28 Oct 2009: Jackson Co, 1000s of adult kudzu
bugs on homes
Kudzu with adults, late-instar nymphs)
Adults seeking overwintering
Confirmed in 9 counties covering 7050 km2
Images by and courtesy of Daniel R. Suiter & Lisa Ames (University of Georgia) & Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, UGA (www.insectimages.org)

17. Range Expansion
2009 - 2013
Confirmed in 12 states:
• Alabama
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Kentucky
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Virginia
Area Infested by Year:
2010: 13x increase
2011: 27x
2012: 29x

18. Closest populations to PA
2011 Confirmed
2012 Confirmed
2013 Confirmed

20. Origin of Kudzu bug
Native Range:
Southeast
Asia, China, Japan, Indi
a, northern
Australian, Malaysia, et
c..
Genetic comparisons:
Japan is source
Mode of introduction
Is unclear

21. Reported Host Plants in Expanded Range
Images courtesy of Center for Invasive
Species and Ecosystem Health, UGA
www.insectimages.org
Legumes
Kudzu
Soybean
Pigeon Pea
American Wisteria
Chinese Wisteria
Japanese Wisteria
Lima Bean
Pole/String/Green
Bean
Lablab Bean
American
Yellowwood
Lespedeza
Peanut
Crimson Clover
Clover
Alfalfa
Sicklepod
Black Locust
Non-Legumes
Alligatorweed
Black Willow
Banana
Cocklebur
Cotton
Fig
Loquat
Muscadine
Grape
Pecan
Pine Trees
Potato
Satsuma
Mandarin
Tangerine
Wax Myrtle
Wheat
Wild Blackberry

22. Host Preference Testing
Choice and No-Choice
Preference Testing in 2012
conducted by UGA
No adult or nymph feeding:
Peanut, Snap bean, Pinto bean, Winter pea
Some adult feeding:
Lima bean, Black bean, Black-eyed
pea, Azuki bean, Lablab, Mung bean
Reproductive Hosts
Soybean, Kudzu (maybe Wisteria)

23. Distribution of kudzu

24. Kudzu bug as a Biocontrol agent for kudzu?
Reduced kudzu biomass by:
• 33% in 1 year
• 50% over 2 years
Other plants appear in kudzu patches after 2-3 yr
• Reduced competition

25. Impact of kudzu bug on soybean
Yield loss: ~20% (0%-60%)
• Untreated beans in 25 tests in GA
Indirect injury causes reduction in
seeds per pod and seed weight.
Infestations are higher in field edges.

26. Impact of kudzu bug on soybean
Location of bugs on soybeans:
• Eggs laid on leaves (or pods)
• Nymphs and adults feed mostly on
stems
• Occasionally on petioles and undersides
of leaves
• Rarely seen feeding on pods
Also decreases yield of edible
beans but no details available

27. Kudzu bug Management in Soybean
Risk & planting Date:
• April > May > June > July
Threshold: One nymph per sweep (single
application may be sufficient to eliminate
yield loss)
Easily killed with insecticides, but reinfestation occurs quickly
• Endigo (λ cyhalothrin, thiamethoxam)
and Brigade (bifenthrin) perform best

28. Impact of Adult Feeding on Non-reproductive Hosts
Large numbers of adults found on
American Wisteria before leaf out.
• Adult feeding clearly affects the
vine when leafed out.
• No egg-laying found (some
reports of nymphs)
Green beans: Adults can be found on plants
• Like in soybeans, they do not feed on pods
• Thus far, no evidence of yield loss
• Contamination in fresh produce?

29. Other impacts of kudzu bug
Nuisance Pest
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Urban areas, abundance and activity
of adults, staining, odor
Smell of natural gas (do not call 911)
Adults attracted to light-colored
surfaces but NOT to lights
They do not overwinter in homes
Localized Skin Reactions
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Some individuals are sensitive
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Usually folks that deal with
big pops.
Chemical does not burn
through screens

30. Kudzu bug as a nuisance pest
Homeowner often call pest control operators
Alpine: Excellent knockdown and residual control
of adults up to 48 hours on treated surfaces
• a.i. = dinotefuran
• Neonic labeled for indoor use,
tree fruit, leafy vegetables, etc.

31. Kudzu bug in international trade
Honduras
February 2012
• 7 dead kudzu bugs adults in the container of
poultry meat products from Georgia.
• 2 dead adults in a container of live eggs
Honduran Servicio de Proteccion Agropecuaria
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Agricultural protection service
Halted all ag. imports from GA, AL, SC & NC
March 2012:
Eased restrictions to begin inspecting and
unloading individual containers
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Continue to inspect 10% of arriving containers at
ports in Central America.

32. Kudzu bug in international trade
Airline Travel:
• Live adults found in passenger compartments of jets leaving Atlanta
• Dead adults have been intercepted in luggage compartments
• Delta try hard to keep them out of planes

33. Potential for Biological Control
Some generalist predators attack upon
nymphs and adults, but impact is mimimal.
Entomogenous fungus Beauveria bassiana
found naturally infecting adults.
No known nymphal or adult parasitoids
Best candidate for importation:
Egg parasitoid Paratelenomus saccharalis
• Wide distribution in native range (Japan)
• High host specificity
• Currently in quarantine in Stoneville
• Release permit was in development
• Has since been found across the south
Paratelenomus saccharalis
(Hymenoptera: Platygastridae)

34. Potential Range Expansion
Will kudzu bug expand its range to match soybean and/or kudzu?
Soybean Yield per Harvest Acre by County
Kudzu Distribution by County

35. Potential Range Expansion
Using correlative niche
modeling, high potential for
invasion in these shaded areas
of U.S. and World.
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Annual mean temperature
annual temperature range
Temperature seasonality
Precipitation seasonality
Solar radiation levels,
Topographic elevation
Did not account of presence of
reproductive host plants.
(Zhu et al. 2012)

36. http://www.kudzubug.org
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University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health