Soybean gall midge: Understanding a new pest of soybean in the Midwest
2021
- Department of Entomology, Univ. of Nebraska
Project Media
Soybean gall midge (SGM) was identified as a new species in 2018 in the Midwestern United States
causing extensive injury to soybean in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, southwestern Minnesota, and
eastern South Dakota.
Since it’s discovery, soybean gall midge adult emergence has been tracked each year from soybean fields
that were infested the previous year. In east central Nebraska, the duration of adult emergence from these
overwintering sites averaged 15 days in 2019 to 25 in 2020 with emergence beginning in mid-June each
year. This long duration of emergence from overwintering sites poses a significant challenge for
management tactics to mitigate soybean injury in adjacent soybean fields.