Diel Variation in the Abundance and Contribution of the Predator Assemblages Feeding on Soybean Aphid (Aphis glycine)

Abstract

Agricultural landscapes are managed ecosystems, usually designed to maximize yield with less concern given to diversity, making these systems more vulnerable to invasion by harmful pests. Natural enemies of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, the predominant soybean pest in the North Central U.S., have been shown to drastically reduce aphid populations on plants, potentially decreasing or eliminating the need for chemical pesticides.

Generalist predators like coccinellid beetles and predatory bugs dominate the diurnal SBA natural enemy assemblage, exhibiting effective top-down control of soybean aphid (Fig. 1). Little is known about the nocturnal predators of soybean aphid, or how much they may contribute to soybean aphid suppression.