Biology, Ecology, and Pest Management of the Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) in Southern Row Crops

Simple Summary

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, is a polyphagous, sap-feeder that causes significant economic damage in several field crops, especially cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the mid-southern United States. In 2020, it was reported that 4.8 million acres of cotton were infested by Lygus spp. in the United States. A broad host range, polyphagous feeding behavior and high mobility of this pest along with resistance development to conventional pesticides helped them establish as a significant pest of concern for cotton growers in the mid-south. Since the publication of a review by Layton (2000) on damage caused by Lygus lineolaris, many new research studies have been published on the Lygus biology, ecology, and integrated pest management strategies. A comprehensive review paper that summarizes these latest research developments and Lygus management strategies will be useful for researchers and cotton growers. In this review, we report and discuss the latest developments in Lygus research and the new control strategies that have been developed in the last two decades.

Abstract

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), (Hemiptera: Miridae) is considered the most damaging pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the mid-southern United States, although it is established throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. The introduction of transgenic crops for the control of moths in the Heliothine complex and eradication of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis, from much of the United States led to greatly reduced pesticide use in cotton fields, which allowed L. lineolaris to emerge as a new primary pest of cotton in the mid-southern United States. Since the publication of a review by Layton (2000) on damage caused by Lygus lineolaris, many new studies have been published on the changes in host range, population dynamics, sampling methods and thresholds, cultural practices, sex pheromones and attractant blends, novel pesticides and insecticide resistance mechanisms, olfactory and feeding behaviors, introduction of biological control agents, host-plant resistance mechanisms, and new molecular and genetic tools for integrated pest management of Lygus species in cotton and other important crops. Here, we review and discuss the latest developments in L. lineolaris research in the last two decades.