Tarnished Plant Bug Movement in a Cotton / Corn Ecosystem

A key economic pest of cotton in the mid south is the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae). It is believed that early season crops like corn play a major role in building up tarnished plant bug populations which then move to nearby cotton fields. Tarnished plant bug densities within cotton fields are often much higher near corn fields, but the degree of movement between corn and cotton, or the range at which corn influences movement is not known. A better understanding of this movement could play a key role in managing tarnished plant bug. The objective of this research was to determine the movement dynamics of tarnished plant bug within and at the interface of these crops using immunomarking techniques. Our 2008 data indicated that there was high influx of tarnished plant bugs into cotton from corn when corn was maturing from green to brown silk stage. We are conducting similar experiments in 2009 to improve our understanding of tarnished plant bug movement dynamics in order to develop appropriate management strategy for tarnished plant bugs in cotton.