Insecticide trials in South Carolina and Georgia in 2011 and 2012 have shown that the bean plataspid caused an average of 21% yield loss in untreated soybean plots, and as high as a maximum of 49% (Jeremy Greene and Phillip Roberts, unpublished data). Work has also shown that carefully timed insecticide application can help to reduce injury and yield loss to the bean plataspid. Pyrethroid insecticides in particular have shown to be an effective management tool in soybean.

For correct decision making, growers and scouts need to use effective sampling procedures and use adequate numbers of samples per field. Research began in 2012 to optimize sampling plans for this invasive...