Redbanded Stink Bug in Soybean
Crop Damage
Redbanded stink bugs (Piezodorus guildinii) occur in the southern United States. They have become a serious economic pest of soybeans, particularly in Gulf Coast and Mid-South states. Both nymphs and adults use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on soybean leaves, stems, flowers, pods, and seeds. As they feed, they inject digestive enzymes that damage plant tissue and expose the area to pathogens. Redbanded stink bugs cause the greatest economic damage when they feed on pods and seeds, which can result in shriveled seeds and reduced seed size. Additionally, redbanded stink bugs tend to feed for longer periods than other stink bug species, resulting in greater damage later in the growing season.
Redbanded stink bug adults.
Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Pest Description
Young nymphs have black heads and shoulders (pronotum) and red abdomens with distinct black markings. Older nymphs are green with red and black markings on the top of the abdomen, along with black margins on the wing pads. Adults are smaller than many other stink bugs, measuring about 1/4 inch long. They have a distinctive dark orange to red band along the pronotum, which has rounded shoulders. Additionally, redbanded stink bugs have a long spine on the underside of their abdomen. The unique shape of the pronotum and the presence of the abdominal spine are key characteristics that distinguish the redbanded stink bug from the redshouldered stink bug.
Redbanded stink bug nymphs.
Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Redbanded stink bug nymph. The white arrow indicates the wing pad.
Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.
Scouting
Although early-season redbanded stink bug infestations may occur in soybean fields, they rarely cause economic damage. Redbanded stink bugs typically infest other legumes, including clover, hairy vetch, and alfalfa, before migrating to soybean fields later in the season. Depending on the state, scouting is recommended when soybeans begin to bloom (Stage R1) and may continue until soybeans reach full maturity (Stage R8). Redbanded stink bugs are commonly found in the middle to upper canopy of soybean plants, making sweep nets an effective scouting method throughout the reproductive stages. Take 25 sweeps in four locations within the field. Larger fields may require additional sampling locations to obtain an accurate estimate of stink bug populations. Count the number of older nymphs and adults.
Management
Consult your local or state extension specialists for current management thresholds for redbanded stink bugs. Thresholds have changed in some states as redbanded stink bugs have migrated to new areas, increasing the potential for damage to soybeans. Common insecticide treatment thresholds for stink bugs when using a sweep net are 9 stink bugs per 25 sweeps (40 stink bugs per 100 sweeps) for grain production fields and 5 stink bugs per 25 sweeps (20 stink bugs per 100 sweeps) in seed production fields. However, states with a history of redbanded stink bug infestations may have different treatment thresholds. Examples include 4 stink bugs per 25 sweeps during growth stages R3 to R6.5, increasing to 10 stink bugs per 25 sweeps from R6.5 to R7; and 4 stink bugs per 25 sweeps during growth stages R1 to R8.
If multiple stink bug species are present, assess their potential impact before making management decisions. If treatment is warranted, consider the pre-harvest interval (PHI) when selecting an insecticide for late-season applications. In some areas, reduced efficacy of some foliar insecticides against redbanded stink bugs has been reported, so determine local recommendations when selecting a product. Research on soybean varieties that are resistant to redbanded stink bugs is ongoing. Also, laboratory and field studies are assessing the effectiveness of biological control agents, including predators, entomopathogenic nematodes, entomopathogenic fungi, and parasitoids.
Developed and reviewed by Carol Pilcher, Iowa State University and Robert Wright, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with support from the United Soybean Board.
Redbanded stink bug adults. Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Redbanded stink bug nymphs. Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Redbanded stink bug nymph. The white arrow indicates the wing pad. Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.
Redbanded stink bug adult. The black arrow indicates the pronotum with rounded edges. Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Gallery images courtesy of Jennifer Carr, University of Florida, Bugwood.org;
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