Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #304224
Title: Characterization of an EPG waveform library for Lygus spp. on cotton squares

Author
item CERVANTES, FELIX - University Of California
item Backus, Elaine

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2014
Publication Date: 6/22/2014
Citation: Cervantes, F., Backus, E.A. 2014. Characterization of an EPG waveform library for Lygus spp. on cotton squares. In: Proceedings of the Hemipteran-Plant Interactions Symposium. p.40.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Lygus hesperus and L. lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae) are economically important pests affecting production of cotton in the western and mid-southern USA, respectively. Lygus feeding damage varies with instar; young nymphs are cell-rupture feeders performing laceration and maceration of plant tissue before ingestion. It is presently unknown whether adult lygus feed in similar fashion. A 3rd-generation AC-DC electrical penetration graph (EPG) monitor was used to study feeding behavior of lygus adults on pinhead (<3mm) cotton squares. Recordings used DC applied signal at input impedances ranging from 10^6 to 10^9 ', plus 10^13 Ohms. Adults of both species produced similar waveforms. Results led to construction of an EPG waveform library to: 1) characterize waveforms, 2) identify electrical origins, and 3) hypothesize biological meanings, i.e., specific feeding behaviors represented. Antennation and walking waveforms were characterized and definitively correlated via visual observations. In addition, several types of stylet probing waveforms were characterized and meanings (e.g., exploration, salivation, ingestion) hypothesized. Future studies will relate feeding waveforms to plant damage caused by adult lygus bugs.