Unraveling the parasitoid complex of soybean gall midge

Monday, November 11, 2024

9:36 AM – 9:48 AM MST

Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 127 C, PCC

Presenting Author(s)

Sarah Lisak

Master's Student
University of Minnesota
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota

Co-Author(s)

Amelia Lindsey

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Erin W. Hodgson (she/her/hers)

Professor and Extension Entomologist
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
Anthony J. McMechan

Associate Professor
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
Robert L. Koch

Professor & Extension Specialist
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Soybean gall midge (SGM), Resseliella maxima Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a pest of soybean. Its larval stage causes plant injury and yield reductions. Control methods, such as biological control, are currently being explored. This work has led to the identification of SGM natural enemies. In 2021 our team discovered the first parasitoid of SGM, Synopeas maximum Awad & Talamas (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), which we are monitoring across the midwest. Recently, we have identified another new Synopeas sp., which also appears to parasitize SGM. The parasitism rates and geographic extent of this new species remains unknown. Our research assesses field-level parasitism rates of SGM by both Synopeas spp. in multiple Midwest states using qPCR with species-specific primers. This work will form a baseline for understanding the parasitoid community associated with SGM and lead to a better understanding of the potential for biological control of SGM.