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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Chemistry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407790
Research Project: Chemical Communications of Plants, Insects, Microbes, and Nematodes

Location: Chemistry Research

Title: Leaffooted bugs: insect pest species of growing concern for agriculture

Author
item Broadhead, Geoffrey
item Cottrell, Ted
item Beck, John

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2024
Publication Date: 1/24/2024
Citation: Broadhead, G.T., Cottrell, T.E., Beck, J.J. 2024. Leaffooted bugs: insect pest species of growing concern for agriculture. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06763.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06763

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Leptoglossus (Hemiptera: Coreidae) is a diverse genus consisting of 61 species, many of which are widespread and highly polyphagous. Publications related to Leptoglossus have been steadily increasing since the mid-20th century as species within the genus are identified as emerging agricultural pests, invasive species, and vectors of plant pathogens. Currently, five species dominate the Leptoglossus literature which are known pests of major crop plants including cotton, maize, citrus, almond, pistachio, and tomato among others. Despite the increasing profile of Leptoglossus as agricultural pests, current monitoring and management methods rely primarily on visual identification of feeding damage or the presence of adult insects. Development of semiochemical tools for monitoring and management of these pest species has been identified as a research area priority by industry stakeholders and is an essential component for implementation of integrated pest management. To date, investigations of Leptoglossus semiochemicals have established that these species produce numerous, chemically diverse compounds. However, identification and functional understanding of bioactive compounds is not sufficient and new compounds are still being identified. Systematic investigation of Leptoglossus semiochemicals, their bioactivity, and biosynthesis is needed to develop attractants for monitoring in affected crops. Successful identification of attractants (e.g., sex or aggregation pheromones) will provide needed tools for the control of this emerging insect pest.