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The dectes stem borer is a pest in the High Plains region. Adults are called long-horned beetles because their antennae are longer than their bodies. However, the larvae damage soybeans.
Dectes stem borer adults (Fig. 22) lay eggs in leaf petioles. After hatching, larvae tunnel down the petiole into the main stem where they bore up and down. Eventually, they girdle the inside of the stem base, causing lodging and yield loss late in the season.
Full-grown larvae are about ½ to 5/8 inch long, grub-like, and legless; their abdominal segments resemble an accordion.
