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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #205349
Title: Evaluation of color traps for monitoring lygus spp.: design, placement, height, time of day, and non-target effects

Author
item Blackmer, Jacquelyn
item Byers, John
item RODRIGUEZ-SAONA, CESAR - UNIV OF TORONTO, CA

Submitted to: Crop Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2007
Publication Date: 6/1/2008
Citation: Blackmer, J.L., Byers, J.A., Rodriguez-Saona, C. 2008. Evaluation of color traps for monitoring lygus spp.: design, placement, height, time of day, and non-target effects. Crop Protection 27:171-181.

Interpretive Summary: The western tarnished plant bug and the tarnished plant bug are two of the most economically important plant bugs in North America. Here we present results from field trials that evaluated trap characteristics for maximizing Lygus bug and other herbivorous insects capture while minimizing beneficial insect capture. The response of Lygus bugs, other key herbivore species and predators to hue (white, clear, black, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green or red) and value (black, white and two neutral grays) was examined in alfalfa over three seasons using traps coated with stickem. Lygus bugs exhibited a broad response to traps of various colors, but showed no response to trap value or intensity. Additionally, we showed that time of day, trap height, and trap placement influenced the number of Lygus bugs captured. More Lygus were trapped in late afternoon to dusk than at all other times of the day, and more males than females were captured on sticky traps even though the sexes were 1:1 in field sweeps. Lygus males were more likely to be captured on traps placed 20-cm from the ground; higher traps caught equivalent numbers of males and females. The highest number of bugs was collected when traps were placed in a cleared area between alfalfa fields; lower numbers were collected on the edge and in the center of the field. All other herbivores exhibited distinct preferences to particular trap hues and in some cases, particular trap values. Predators were rarely trapped, but did exhibit preferences to particular trap color characteristics. The potential of using sticky traps with particular hue and value characteristics to effectively monitor Lygus bugs is discussed.

Technical Abstract: Lygus hesperus and L. lineolaris are two of the most economically important plant bugs in North America. Here we present results from field trials that evaluated effective trap characteristics for maximizing Lygus spp. and other herbivorous insects capture while minimizing beneficial insect capture. The response of Lygus bugs, several other key herbivore species and predators to hue (white, clear, black, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green or red) and value (black, white and two neutral grays) was examined in alfalfa over several seasons using traps coated with Pestick adhesive. Lygus spp. exhibited a broad response to traps of various colors, but showed no response to trap value or intensity. Additionally, we showed that time of day, trap height, and trap placement influenced the number of Lygus spp. captured. More Lygus were trapped in the late afternoon to dusk time period than at all other times of the day, and more males than females were captured on sticky traps even though the sexes were at parity in field sweeps. In the alfalfa setting, Lygus spp. males were more likely to be captured on traps placed 20-cm from the ground; higher traps caught equivalent numbers of males and females. The highest number of bugs was collected when traps were placed in a cleared area between two alfalfa fields; lower numbers were collected on the edge and in the center of the field. All other herbivores exhibited distinct preferences to particular trap hues and in some cases, particular trap values. Predators were rarely trapped, but did exhibit preferences to particular trap color characteristics. The potential of using sticky traps with particular hue and value characteristics to effectively monitor Lygus spp. is discussed.