Peter Ellsworth, University of Arizona, 37860 W Smith Enke Rd, Maricopa, AZ 85239-3010
Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae) has been a consistent target for Arizona cotton producers for a very long time; however, its status as number one pest over the last 10 years is largely due to the major gains in other control systems (Bt cotton for lepidopteran control & selective insecticides including IGRs for the control of Bemisia whiteflies) (Fournier et al. 2007). The last two seasons (2006 & 2007) set record lows in foliar insecticide use in Arizona cotton. Despite this, Lygus bug remains our most important pest, even when averaging less than 1.4 sprays applied against all pests (see Williams et al. 2008). Additional focus on this pest is warranted, because of our historical dependence on very old, very broad-spectrum chemistry (endosulfan since 1959; acephate since 1973; and oxamyl since 1974). The consequences of over-reliance on broad-spectrum insecticide usage are well-known—elimination of key natural enemies, secondary pest outbreaks, pest resurgence, and resistance.
