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Bean
Leaf Beetles will feed on soybean leaves throughout the season, but leaf
feeding seldom causes yield loss. Most damage (economic yield loss) occurs when
beetles feed on the developing pods. This yield loss can occur in several ways.
Pods may be clipped from the plants, or plant diseases may enter the pod from
the feeding sites, causing seeds to appear shrunken, discolored, and moldy. This
latter type of injury reduces seed quality. Beetles injure pods by feeding on
the outside layer of the soybean pod, leaving a thin layer of tissue still
covering the seed. They do not eat into the developing seed.
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