Comparison of Degree-Day Accumulation Models for Predicting Spring Reproductive Populations of Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois)

Tarnished plant bugs, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), are a major

pest of cotton throughout Mississippi and the midsouth region. Adult L.

lineolaris diapause and overwinter utilizing leaf litter and winter host

plants. Degree day accumulation models were evaluated using six biofixes,

four lower temperature thresholds, and 13 years of data to predict the

appearance of two phenological events (first instar nymphs and adults).

Determining seasonal and temporal patterns of L. lineolaris contribute to

further understanding this pest¹s population dynamics, and have broad

implications for pest management programs.