Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) and bean leaf beetles, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster), both reduce yield and seed quality in soybean, Glycine max (L.). Numerous beetle species can transmit BPMV; however, recent outbreak populations of bean leaf beetles have contributed to an epidemic of BPMV in soybean in Iowa. The objective of this research was to understand or identify the contributing sources of the BPMV epidemic in nature and to study novel chemical control tactics for the management of this pest complex. To facilitate the measurement of leaf herbivory of leaves, a tool was developed for the digital measurement of leaf surface area. The effects of shape, size, and capture resolution on digital area measurement were investigated to accurately and precisely estimate leaf surface area. The results indicated that image capture resolutions of either 118.16 or 236.27 pixels cm-1 (300 or 600 pixels in-1, respectively) had the least bias for a variety of sizes and were least affected by shape geometry. Eighteen field-collected, perennial plant species were tested for the presence of BPMV and acceptability to bean leaf beetle herbivory. Five new food hosts, Lespedeza capitata (Michaux), Lotus corniculatus L., Trifolium alexandrinum L., T. ambiguum Bieberstein, and T. incarnatum L., were discovered for bean leaf beetles and one new host, Desmodium illinoense Gray, for BPMV. All of these plant species emerge prior to normal emergence times for soybean in Iowa. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence from the D. illinoense BPMV isolate (I-Di1) was characterized. I-Di1 was determined as a new natural reassortant of BPMV belonging to RNA-1 subgroup I, RNA-2 subgroup II. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences from BPMV isolates (I-P) from an adjacent soybean field were partially characterized. The I-P isolates were all of RNA-1 subgroup II and thus do not appear to be related to I-Di1. However, based on nucleotide sequence analysis the within-field isolate diversity is high. Soybean growers desire earlier planting dates and given the spring-feeding activity of the bean leaf beetle and the potential of early-season injury of soybean from BPMV infection, early planting dates are at risk. Therefore the effects of seedapplied and foliar insecticides on this pest complex were studied within the context of the currently-recommended management strategy: the use of insecticides to reduce F0 and F1 bean leaf beetle populations. The use of a seed-applied insecticide to target F 0 beetles (followed by a foliar insecticide application targeting F 1 bean leaf beetles) gave the greatest improvement in yield (0.9 q ha -1 [∼1.3 bu a-1] at two locations in one year. However, seed quality was protected most if a foliar insecticide was used to suppress F0 and F1 beetles. This work presents discoveries regarding the host range of bean leaf beetles and BPMV, evidence for within-field evolution of BPMV, and provides research results for a novel management tactic for controlling bean leaf beetles and BPMV.