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First Adult Emergence IA, Continued Emergence in NE.
June 3rd, 2026
The first soybean gall midge adult emergence was detected in Iowa on June 2 near Dexter in Dallas County, where a single adult was collected (see figure below). In Nebraska, continued adult emergence was detected at two monitoring locations in northern Lancaster County, with a single adult collected at each site on June 1. No adult emergence has been detected in South Dakota or Minnesota at this time.
As a reminder, depending on the planting date in May, some soybean fields may not yet be at the V2 growth stage when stem fissures begin to form, and plants become susceptible to soybean gall midge infestation. See soybeangallmidge.org for soybean staging information and examples of stem fissures.
Before considering an insecticide application, use the following checklist:
• Is the field adjacent to a soybean field with soybean gall midge pressure from the previous year?
• Are soybean plants at the V2 growth stage?
• Is adult emergence occurring in your area based on the emergence map and alerts?
If an application is being considered, use a product containing a pyrethroid active ingredient. Applications only need to target the current year’s soybean field edge, generally within the first 60–100 feet of the field adjacent to soybean with plant injury observed in the previous year. However, foliar insecticide efficacy for soybean gall midge has been inconsistent across locations and years.
We will continue to provide emergence updates and monitor soybean growth stages in high-risk areas as emergence continues.
Soybean development stages with the presence of fissures below the cotyledonary node at the V2 stage. White and orange larvae can be found in infested plants at about 5-10 days after adult activity.
Figure 2. Larvae in soybean petiole, soybean field with soybean gall midge injury, and stem infested with soybean gall midge.
Wilting and dead plants from soybean gall midge feeding in Lancaster County, NE. Photo taken on July 19th, 2024. Credit: Justin McMechan
White larvae found on soybean plants near Mead, NE on June 14th, 2023.
Photo taken by Justin McMechan.
Unmanned aerial vehicle photo of soybean gall midge injured field in Cass County, NE taken on August 26th, 2020.
Photo courtesy of Nick Tinsley (Bayer Crop Science)
White and orange larvae found on soybean near Mead, NE on June 19th, 2023
