Combining visual cues and pheromones for the monitoring and management of tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae)

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) is the most damaging pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the mid-southern United States. Previous studies have reported the role of different ratios of volatile metathoracic gland components such as hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate, and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal in eliciting low level attraction by L. lineolaris. In this study, we tested different visual cues (colored sticky cards) in combination with olfactory cues (pheromone blends) to optimize the attraction and capture of L. lineolaris in the field. The red-colored sticky cards were highly attractive to L. lineolaris adults than other colored cards tested. Red sticky cards combined with different known L. lineolaris attractant blends such as Byers blend (4:10:7), Stoneville blend (10:4:2), and Maricopa blend (7:10:4) attracted significantly more L. lineolaris adults than paired sticky card controls. Byers blend attracted and captured a significantly higher number of L. lineolaris than the other blends and unbaited control after the first week of the experiment. The cumulative number of L. lineolaris captured on the red sticky cards with Byers or Maricopa blend were significantly higher than Stoneville blend during the six weeks of the experiment. Results showed that combining the visual cues (red color) with olfactory cues (pheromone blends) significantly increased the capture of L. lineolaris in the field. This device or a future iteration based on the visual, olfactory, and gustatory cues may contribute to sustainable and environmentally appropriate early-season monitoring and management of L. lineolaris in the field.