ABSTRACT

Phytophagous pentatomids such as Acrosternum hilare, Euschistus servus, and Nezara viridula as well as Lygus spp. are known to damage developing cotton bolls (Greene et al. 1999, Greene et al. 2001, Turnipseed et al. 1995). After the bugs penetrate the boll and feed on seeds, bolls may abort but damage is most evident in the form of punctures or warts on internal carpel walls and as stained seed or lint. During 2002, our research revealed that the cotton fleahopper, Pseudotomoscelis seriata (Reuter), and a red mirid, Ceratocapsus punctulatus (Reuter), both caused damage as described above when caged for three days on 3-day-old bolls (three days from white flower). After removal of insects, bolls remained protected within the cup cages for six more days when damage was assessed. Some small bolls were "blasted" or aborted; but most continued to grow. Bolls were squeezed open and examined internally for punctures, warts, and seed staining.

Overall damage caused by three late instar cotton fleahoppers is compared to damage from one 2nd instar southern green stink bug from three separate tests (Table 1.). In each test, consisting of 12 cups per treatment, damage was significantly greater with bugs present than in non-bug checks. In test 1, damage from N. viridula was significantly greater than that caused by P. seriata, whereas in test 3, the reverse was true.

Because the stink bug/plant bug complex is rapidly emerging as the most important pest problem in low-insecticide-input cotton production systems, it is imperative that efficient and effective thresholds for insecticidal intervention be developed. We need to know the insect species involved, their population levels at various stages of crop development, the extent of their damage to bolls, and the relationship of damage to yield and quality of the crop.