Bean Lycaenid on Legume Vegetables
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Bean lycaenid (Strymon melinus) is an occasional bean pest that eats through pods in order to feed on seeds; as a result, large conspicuous holes are left in pods. The green velvety caterpillars (larvae) are slug-like in shape and about ½ inch in length when fully grown. The adult is the gray hairstreak butterfly.
Bean lycaenid caterpillar
(Photo: Ken Yeargan, University of Kentucky)
Management:
- Control with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticides, if possible, to preserve natural enemies of other insect pests.