Soybean Aphid
Quick Facts
- Known vector of plant virus diseases, including abaca mosaic, soyabean mosaic, soyabean stunt, beet mosaic, millet red leaf, mungbean mosaic, bean yellow mosaic and Indonesian soybean dwarf
- Transmits peanut mottle virus in ground nuts in Indonesia
- Has been found in soybean fields in west Tennessee
- Documentation is still needed of infestations in middle and east Tennessee on soybean
Species Facts:
The Soybean Aphid, Aphis glycines, is a small aphid, pale yellow in life, with black siphunculi and pale cauda. No other aphid living on soybeans has the same combination of size and color. Other species of aphids on legumes that might be confused with it are Aphis gossypii (the cotton aphid) which has a shorter, dark cauda and Aphis craccivora (the cowpea aphid) which has a black patch on the back of the wingless adults.
Studies undertaken in Asia indicate that the optimum temperatures for the aphid are 20-24°C. Aphid densities peak in the vegetative plant stage and decline rapidly afterwards or towards the flowering stage.
Soybean Aphid is capable of causing significant reduction in growth and seed production in soybeans. A study by Wang et al. (1996) in China found that seed yields were reduced by 27.8% and plant height decreased by 20.2 cm in infested plants as compared with the control. Plant damage is in the form of leaf distortion (where very dense aphid populations occur) and severe vigor loss.