Early season monitoring of tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, in wild hosts using pheromone traps

Authors: George, Justin; Glover, James; Reddy, Gadi V.P.; Johnson, Christopher - Chris; HALL, DAVID - University Of Greenwich

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/16/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a polyphagous pest and cause severe economic damage to cotton crop. Managing field edges with weeds is important in preventing early-season infestations of L. lineolaris in cotton to prevent damage to squares and other fruiting structures. Scouting fields for L. lineolaris is time- and labor-intensive, and end-user variability associated with field sampling can lead to inaccuracies. Insect traps that combine visual cues and pheromones are more accurate, sustainable, and economically feasible in contrast to traditional insect detection methods. This study investigated the application of red or white sticky cards baited with the female-produced sex pheromone to monitor overwintering L. lineolaris populations in early spring. Field experiments demonstrated that the red sticky cards baited with a pheromone blend containing hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate, and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal in 4:10:7 ratio are highly effective in trapping L. lineolaris adults in early spring before row crops are planted, and in monitoring their movement into a cotton crop. Monitoring of L. lineolaris using traps should help growers to make judicious decisions on insecticide applications to control early pest infestations, thereby reducing economic damage to cotton.

Technical Abstract: Tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae) has a wide host range of over 700 plant species, including 130 crops of economic importance. During early spring, managing field edges with weeds and other wild hosts is important in preventing early-season infestations of L. lineolaris in cotton to prevent damage to squares and other fruiting structures. Scouting fields for L. lineolaris is time- and labor-intensive, and end-user variability associated with field sampling can lead to inaccuracies. Insect traps that combine visual cues and pheromones are more accurate, sustainable, and economically feasible in contrast to traditional insect detection methods. In this study, we investigated the application of red or white sticky cards baited with the female-produced sex pheromone to monitor overwintering L. lineolaris populations in early spring. Field experiments demonstrated that the red sticky cards baited with a pheromone blend containing hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate, and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal in 4:10:7 ratio are highly effective in trapping L. lineolaris adults in early spring before row crops are planted, and in monitoring their movement into a cotton crop. Monitoring of L. lineolaris should help growers to make judicious decisions on insecticide applications to control early pest infestations, thereby reducing economic damage to cotton.