Geocoris spp. (bigeyed bugs) are common, polyphagous insect predators in

many crops. Populations of Geocoris punctipes (Say) occur in large numbers in

soybean fields in the southern U.S. (Tugwell et al. 1973, Turnipseed 1972,

Shepard et al. 1974). The diet of arthropod prey is supplemented with some

feeding on plants, which improves survival and decreases developmental time

(Naranjo and Stimac 1985). The predator is an important biological control

agent of Anticarsia gemmatilis Hubner (Elvin et al. 1983) and Nezara viridula

(L.) (Crocker and Whitcomb 1980), which are the most economically important

pests of soybean. Bigeyed bugs may be important agents in the suppression of

populations of occasional pests of soybean, such as Heliothis zea Boddie

(Whitcomb and Bell 1964), H. virescens, (F.) (McDaniel and Sterling 1979),

Pseudoplusia includes (Walker) (Richman et al. 1980), and many others.

 The population dynamics of bigeyed bugs in soybean fields has been found

to vary according to geographical location. Numbers were greatest in late

August to early September in Kentucky (Raney and Yeargan 1977), early August

or mid-September in North Carolina (Deitz et al. 1976), late September in

South Carolina (Shepard et al. 1974a), and between late June and early August

in Mississippi (Pitre et al. 1978). More than one generation occurred in each

case, as populations were present during most of the growing season. No

published information exists on the population dynamics of bigeyed bugs in

soybean in more southerly areas of the southern U.S. growing region.

 The dispersion characteristics of bigeyed bug populations in South

Carolina soybean fields were investigated by Waddill et al. (1974).

Populations were randomly distributed on most sample dates, fitting the

Poisson distribution. Pieters and Sterling (1973) reported that their

populations in cotton were clumped on most occasions, fitting the negative

binomial. Dispersion characteristics of insect populations have been shown to