Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to study the preference of two scarabaeid beetles,Anomala cupripesHope andA. expansaBates, for soybean plants at various growth stages and the potential use of a trap cultivar to control these pests. Insects preferred to feed on 6–9‐week‐old plants compared to younger ones. This may be due to more foliage on the older plants, which is a source of food and a shelter for the insect from direct sunlight. Planting a cultivar with more foliage as a trap cultivar between rows of the agronomic cultivar attracted the beetles and reduced the infestation of the agronomic cultivar. The optimum distance to plant such a trap cultivar between rows of agronomic cultivar needs to be determined for each location.