- 707 - 



ALFALFA WEEVIL (Hypera postica ) - MISSOURI - Adults ranged 1-6 per 10 sweeps in 

 3 of 5 fields of alfalfa in southwest area. (Munson) . NEW MEXICO - Larvae light, 

 ranged 0-3 per 25 sweeps of alfalfa near Belen, Valencia County. (Heninger) . 



THREECORNERED ALFALFA HOPPER (Spissistilus festinus ) - ARIZONA - Counts per 100 

 sweeps of alfalfa in Yuma County: Yuma Mesa 70, Yuma Valley 530, and Gila 

 Valley 1,000. (Ariz. Coop. Sur.). 



A LYGUS BUG (Lygus sp.) - ARIZONA - Counts per 100 sweeps of alfalfa in Yuma 

 County: Yuma Mesa 60, Yuma Valley 400, and Gila Valley 800. (Ariz. Coop. Sur.). 



Guar Insect Situation in the Rolling Plains of Texas 



Approximately 200,000 acres in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas were planted to 

 guar in 1971. About 125,000 of the total acreage was in the Rolling Plains of 

 Texas. 



It appears that a midge, Cecidomyia texana is the only insect species of major 

 economic importance to guar production in the Rolling Plains. The female midge 

 oviposits in the guar buds, where the larvae develop. The larval feeding causes 

 the buds to abort> preventing pod formation and subsequent seed production. Heavy 

 rains over most of the Rolling Plains nearly halted midge activity during late 

 August. Hardeman and Wilbarger Counties received little rain during August and 

 the greatest midge activity and loss in guar seed production occurred in those 

 counties. Some fields in that area showed 70-80 percent loss. An unidentified 

 species of Thysanoptera also caused some damage to guar foliage in the Beeville, 

 Texas area. 



There are a number of potentially destructive insect species in guar that warrant 

 close surveillance. These were found in guar this season and include: Thrips 

 (unidentified species) very common; geometrids (unidentified species), not 

 common; yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli ) , not common; whitefly, 

 (Aleyrodidae) , common but not abundant ; girdler (species unknown) reports only; 

 leaf hoppers, (unidentified species) very common and abundant; aphids, (probably 

 Hysteroneura setariae ) ; and, an unidentified midge that produces bud and pod 

 galls (not abundant) . 



There are also a large number of beneficial arthropods in guar. Predacious 

 insects include lady beetles, Hippodamia convergens , and 011a abdominalis ; a 

 pirate bug, Orius sp.; syrphid larvaef Chrysopa larvae and others. Spiders are 

 common. There are four or five unidentified parasitic Hymenoptera that attack 

 C. texana larvae. In addition, a braconid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes was found 

 parasitizing the aphids H. setariae in guar"; (Rogers) . Guar was introduced from 

 India in 1903 and is use's for feed and fodder. A mucillage produced from the 

 seed of this legume is used in paper production, in oil drilling mud, sizing, 

 and as a stablizer in some foods in the U.S. Also used to some extent as a green 

 manure on cotton land. (PPD) . 



SOYBEANS 



MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE (Epilachna variyestis ) - DELAWARE - Damage heavy to soybeans 

 in southeastern Sussex County . (Burbutis, Lesiewicz) . MARYLAND - Adults and 

 larvae ranged 5-20 per row yard in 300 acres of soybeans near Girdletree and 

 Stockton, Worcester County. Controls not applied due to advanced stages of 

 soybean maturity. Overwintering populations will be heavy in this area. (U. Md., 

 Ent. Dept.). SOUTH CAROLINA - Heavy on 15 acres of soybeans in Dillon County, 

 caused 90 percent foliage loss in 3 different fields. Most visible damage 

 occurred in less than 7 days. (Moody). 



BEAN LEAF BEETLE (Cerotoma trifurcata ) - MARYLAND - Adults ranged 2-5 per row 

 foot in 80 acres of soybeans near Hurlock, Dorchester County. (U. Md., Ent. 

 Dept.) . 



