Presentation to: Annual Meeting of the National Plant Board Current Status of the Kudzu Bug, Megacopta Mystic, Connecticut Acknowledgments 24 July 2012 cribraria, in North America Wayne A. Gardner, Professor Department of Entomology John All University of Georgia University of Georgia Lisa Ames Georgia Dept of Agriculture Griffin Campus Chuck Bargeron Emory University Griffin, Georgia 30223 USA David Buntin USDA Forest Service 770‐228‐7341 Keith Douce USDA‐ARS
[email protected] Wayne Gardner USDA‐APHIS‐PPQ Jim Hanula Clemson UiUnivers ity Scott Horn NC State University Tracie Jenkins NC Dept of Agriculture Robert Kemerait Wingate University Joseph LaForest Virginia Tech Hal Peeler University of Georgia Auburn University Phillip Roberts College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Megacopta Working Group Dow AgroScience John Ruberson Florida Dept of Agriculture Paul Smith Mississippi State University Alton (Stormy) Sparks, Jr. Dan Suiter Clay Talton Michael Toews Yanzhou Zhang The Insect Megacopta cribraria Initial Discovery Hemiptera: Plataspidae October 2009 A Development time from egg to Samples submitted to the UGA adult = 24 to 56 days. Homeowner Insect & Weed Diagnostics Laboratory. Numbers of eggs produced per female = 26 to 274 with 15 eggs per egg mass. October 28, 2009: Site visit to Jackson Co., GA, thousands of Eggs usually deposited in 2‐3 adult kudzu bugs on homes. parallel rows stuck black Upper images provided by Jeremy Greene, Clemson University substance deposited by female. Kudzu growing 30 m from homes harbored large numbers 5 nymphal instars. of adults and some late‐instar nymphs. Adult longevity = 23 to 77 days. Overwinter as adults in groups Adults seeking overwintering usually under debris or under sites at the homes.