The first soybean aphids of the season were found on July 3 in Dixon County, NE near Concord. Aphids are generally found in late June to early July in Nebraska, so this is not unexpected. The infestation was very small and lady beetles were already feeding on them; however, current weather conditions are favorable for aphid survival and reproduction, so they bear watching. In any case, if you have not begun scouting soybeans for soybean aphids, now is the time to begin.

The aphid is light green to pale yellow, less than 1/16 in. long, and has two black-tipped cornicles (cornicles look like tailpipes) on the rear of the abdomen. It has piercing-sucking mouthparts and typically feeds on new tissue near the top of soybean plants on the undersides of leaves. Later in the season the aphids can be found on all parts of the plant. It is the only aphid in North America that forms colonies on soybean.

Soybean aphid populations can grow to extremely high levels under favorable environmental conditions. Reproduction and development is fastest when temperatures are in the 70s through the mid 80’s. The aphids do not appear to do well when temperatures are in the 90s, and are reported to begin dieing when temperatures reach 95 degrees. When populations reach high levels during the summer, winged females are produced that migrate to other soybean fields. Like a number of other insect species (e.g. potato leafhoppers), these migrants can be caught up in weather patterns, moved great distances, and end up infesting fields far from their origin. These summer migrants were most likely the major source of infestations in Nebraska during the last couple of years.
Soybean aphids injure soybeans by removing plant sap with their needle-like mouthparts. Symptoms of soybeans infested by soybean aphids may include yellowed, distorted leaves and stunted plants. A charcoal-colored residue also may be present on the plants. This is sooty mold that grows on the honeydew that aphids excrete. Honeydew in itself makes leaves appear shiny. Soybean plants are most vulnerable to aphid injury during the early reproductive stages.

In much of the soybean aphid’s range, significant aphid infestation has often occurred in the early vegetative stages. These infestations then undergo rapid population growth to reach high populations during the flowering stages (R1, R2). In Nebraska aphid populations can reach economically damaging populations in late July, but most reach economically damaging populations in August, when soybeans are in the mid-reproductive stages (R4-R5). During 2004 there were many fields where aphid populations peaked in late R5 (beginning seed) to early R6 (full seed).