Icon Legend

This session is not in your schedule.

This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.

Oral Presentation

Poster Display

Student Competition

Ticketed Event

14 Views

Student 10-Minute Presentation Competition

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student Competition

Student

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, Parasitoids

Exploring the abiotic and biotic factors that impact parasitism of soybean gall midge

Monday, November 10, 2025

10:54 AM - 11:06 AM Pacific

Location: Oregon Convention Center, E145, OCC

Presenting Author(s)

Sarah Von Gries

University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Co-Author(s)

Amelia R. I. Lindsey

University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Erin W. Hodgson (she/her/hers)

Professor and Extension Entomologist
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
Anthony Justin McMechan

Associate Professor, Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
Robert L. Koch (he/him/his)

University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Soybean gall midge (SGM), Resseliella maxima Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), has emerged as a soybean pest across seven Midwestern states. Management strategies, like biological control are being assessed, starting with the exploration of existing SGM natural enemies. We identified two parasitoid species, Synopeas maximum Awad & Talamas and Synopeas ruficoxum Buhl (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), that are natural enemies of SGM. Parasitism rates of both species were quantified by using molecular analysis (qPCR) on field-collected SGM larvae. We are now investigating the abiotic and biotic factors (such as host density, landscape complexity, latitude, and field history) influencing the parasitism rates across multiple Midwest states over three years. Understanding these dynamics will provide a foundation for understanding the potential of parasitoids in integrated pest management strategies for SGM.