As fields are scouted for soybean aphid you might be seeing some insect feeding on leaves. At least two insects are contributing to this damage, perhaps three. Bean leaf beetles (figure 1) are present in some fields, but there have not been any reports from this region of populations that can cause significant injury. The other is the green cloverworm (figure 1). These looper caterpillars are green and blend in with the green foliage. The small holes are the first indication that larvae are present. Most larvae found so far are in the size range of 1/2 inch or less.

Before we need to get concerned about either of these, the level of defoliation needs to reach the 15 to 20% level. Figure 2 illustrates what individual leaves at different feeding levels would look like. Remember, the 20% threshold needs to be for the entire plant. Most of what can be found is individual leaves with less than 5%, and nothing approaching the 20%for entire plants.