By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — When traps in Massac County in southern Illinois captured nearly 102,000 Japanese beetles in three days in mid-June, entomologists sounded the alarm for soybean producers to be especially diligent in scouting for the pests. And a ”handful” of farmers have found the occasional beetle further north in east-central Illinois, according to the Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA).

The ISA is offering producers an opportunity to check out beetle traps in southern Illinois through their See For Yourself re-search tour, scheduled for July 18. The tour features a visit to Southern Illinois University’s Belleville research facility. The deadline to sign up for the tour is July 10; reservations can be made by calling the ISA office at 888-826-4011 or by visiting their website at www.ilsoy.org

“Japanese beetles currently are posing a significant threat to soybeans because the numbers of Japanese beetles, particularly in southern Illinois, are huge,” said Kevin Steffey, an entomologist with the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences. “If they cause 30 percent or more defoliation during vegetative stages or 20 percent or more defoliation during reproductive stages, yield losses could be economic.”

Steffeys aid Japanese beetles could eventually infest soybean fields across the state and spread to other crops as well.

“There’s always a possibility that Japanese beetles will pose a threat to both corn and soybeans in both central and northern Illinois. In fact, Japanese beetle problems historically have been more common in central Illinois than in either southern or northern Illinois,” Steffey said. “Generally speaking, the problems in northern Illinois are clustered around cities such as Rockford, the Quad Cities and Sterling/Rock Falls.”

At least for now beetle infestations have been limited to southern Illinois, Steffey reported. On a recent road trip the respected entomology specialist conducted his own, non-scientific experiment to determine the extent of the beetles’ presence in central Illinois.

“Thus far, we have not heard a great hue and cry about Japanese beetles in southern Illinois,” Steffey reported. “During a (recent) drive from Champaign to Quad Cities on I-74 and state roads I encountered very few Japanese beetles, which usually hit my windshield in large numbers when they are present. However, it is important to note that the weather during my drive was often rainy or cloudy, weather during which Japanese beetles do not usually fly. So, my ‘driving sample’ may be misleading.”

Entomologists should know within a week or so whether the beetles will be a factor in sectors of the state other than southern Illinois. Steffey said timely insecticide application is the only way to take care of an economic infestation of Japanese beetles.