Comparing Boll Injury and EILs for Species of a Boll-Feeding Sucking Bug Complex (Hemiptera: Miridae and Pentatomidae) on South Texas Cotton

Whole-plant caged field experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 to characterize the injury of South Texas cotton from a species complex of boll-feeding sucking bugs represented by one plant bug species (Creontiades signatus) and two stink bug species (Euschistus servus, Acrosternum hilare). Field-collected stink bugs and verde plant bug where used to infest cotton maintained free of insect injury. Whole plants were caged (4 plants per cage) with four insect densities: 0 (control), 0.25 bugs per plant (1 bug per cage), 1 bug per plant (4 bugs per cage), and 2 bugs per plant (8 bugs per cage). Each treatment was replicated 12 times across two bloom specific periods mid and late bloom. Bugs remained caged on plants for 7 days then terminated with pyrethrin insecticide. After the infestation period, the whole plants/bolls were allowed to mature inside the cages. Boll response to feeding damage from verde plant bug and both species of stink bug resulted in external and internal boll injury in the form of warts, galls, lint deterioration, and boll rot. Bolls were rated at harvest on a 0 to 4 scale, corresponding to the number of damaged locules. Cotton boll rot was scored by presence or absence visually and the number of diseased locules. Yield data were estimated by the weight of seedcotton/lint. Significant boll injury differences were detected across species, and yield—insect density relationships were used to calculate and compare economic injury levels (EILs). Implications of this work in developing a management program for multiples species will be presented.