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Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What's wrong with my plant? > Vegetable > Snap bean > Holes in pod

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Snap bean > Pod > Holes in pod

1 of 2
  • Corn Earworm 1

Corn Earworm
Helicoverpa zea

  • Larvae feed on outside of pod causing surface damage, may also burrow into pods to feed on seeds
  • Larvae feed on foliage resulting in small holes
  • Fully grown larvae are about 2 inches long with alternating dark and light lines running lengthwise down their backs; larvae vary in color from olive-brown to light green to pink to brown, with a lighter colored underside
  • Larvae are present in late June and again in August
  • More information on Corn Earworm
2 of 2
  • Bean Leaf Beetle 1
  • Bean Leaf Beetle 2
  • Bean Leaf Beetle 3

Bean Leaf Beetle
Cerotoma trifurcate

  • Adults feed on pods, creating small pits
  • Adults feed on the undersides of leaf surfaces, resulting in small (1/10 inch), round holes
  • Can completely defoliate a plant
  • Adults are about ¼ inch long, oval-shaped and vary in color from yellowish-green to a brick red, with a black triangle directly behind their head
  • Adults first appear in May and are present throughout the growing season
  • Delay planting beans until mid to late June
  • Handpick beetles on the beans and place in a pail of soapy water
  • More information on Bean Leaf Beetle

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