Pest status and distribution of the stem borer, Dectes texanus, in Kansas
Department of Entomology, Kansas State University and Kansas State University Southwest Research-Extension Center
Abstract
The Dectes stem borer, Dectes texanus LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is currently receiving increased attention as a pest of soybeans in the Great Plains of North America. Field surveys were conducted in 1999 and in 2008 to record the distribution of this pest in Kansas. These surveys documented an increase in the abundance of the pest and an expansion in the range of this insect westward and eastward. The percentage of fields with more than 50% of plants infested also increased from 4% in 1999 to 11% in 2008. The far eastern counties still had surprisingly few infested fields even though much of the Kansas soybean acreage is located in these counties. It is not clear if D. texanus simply haven’t expanded into eastern Kansas yet or if there is an ecological barrier that keeps them from doing so. Field crop entomologists from across eastern North America were sent an email questionnaire and their responses indicate that this pest is now well established as a pest of soybeans in at least 14 states across eastern North America.
Keywords: geographic, soybean stem borer, sunflower stem borer, sunflower stem girdler
Correspondence:
a*lbuschma@ksu.edu,
bpsloderb@ksu.edu, *Corresponding author
Associate Editor: T.X. Liu was editor of this paper.
Received: 27 July 2009 | Accepted: 4 December 2009 | Published: 15 November 2010
Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.
ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 198
Buschman LL, Sloderbeck PE. 2010. Pest status and distribution of the stem borer, Dectes texanus, in Kansas. Journal of Insect Science 10:198, available online: insectscience.org/10.198
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