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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #329517
Research Project: Integrated Insect Pest and Resistance Management on Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybean, and Sweet Potato

Location: Southern Insect Management Research

Title: Impact of insect management on population dynamics and insecticide resistance of tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris)

Author
item CAPRIO, MICHEAL - Mississippi State University
item EDWARDS, KRISTINE - Mississippi State University
item MUSSER, FRED - Mississippi State University
item Allen, Clint
item FLEMING, DANIEL - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/29/2016
Publication Date: 9/10/2016
Citation: Caprio, M.A., Edwards, K.T., Musser, F.R., Allen, K.C., Fleming, D.E. 2016. Impact of insect management on population dynamics and insecticide resistance of tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris). Journal of Economic Entomology. 109(6):2517-2524.

Interpretive Summary: Transgenic plants which express insecticides toxic to some caterpillar and beetle pests of certain crops have been available for almost twenty years. There are currently no transgenic crops targeting hemipteran insects, such as the tarnished plant bug, although at least one company lists potential products in the advanced stages of development. The tarnished plant bug feeds on numerous cultivated and wild host plants and is a major pest of cotton in the Southern U.S. A computer model incorporating the biology of the tarnished plant bug in the U. S. Mid-South was developed to aid in risk assessment for potential resistance in tarnished plant bug to transgenic plants. The model was validated against the prior case of pyrethroid resistance in this insect. The model predicted that resistance to a pyrethroid insecticide would evolve in 17.6-21.0 years, which was close to the 15-20 years observed in the field.

Technical Abstract: The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot De Beauvois) is a highly polyphagous insect that feeds on numerous wild and cultivated host plants. Although transgenic crops expressing insecticidal toxins have been available for approximately 20 years for some insect crop pests, none have been developed for hemipteran insects such as the L. lineolaris. Currently, at least one company lists potential transgenic products in advanced stages of development would impact the L. lineolaris. A resistance management model for the U.S. Mid-South was developed to aid in resistance risk assessment for potential transgenic plants targeting L. lineolaris. The model was validated against the prior case of pyrethroid resistance in this insect. Depending on the initial resistance allele frequency, the model predicted that resistance to a pyrethroid insecticide would develop in 17.6-21.0 years, which was close to the 15-20 years observed in the field. Female fecundity, the action threshold initiating an insecticide application, and the area of non-cotton host refuge was varied in the model. Lowering the action threshold increased the number of insecticide sprays applied, but also increased the durability of the insecticide. Removing the non-cotton host refuge present at the same time as cotton changed the relationship so that increasing the action threshold increased durability.