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

BACKGROUND: The tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) is considered 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 of 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. RESULTS: Red-colored sticky cards were more attractive to L. lineolaris adults than white, blue or yellow cards. Red sticky cards combined with blends of three potential pheromone components attracted significantly more L. lineolaris adults than sticky cards without a blend added. Traps baited with a blend of hexyl butyrate, (E)-2-hexenyl butyrate and (E)-4-oxo-2-hexenal in 4:10:7 ratio, respectively, caught a significantly higher number of L. lineolaris than those baited with 10:4:2 or 7:10:4 blends or an unbaited control in the first week of the experiment. CONCLUSIONS: Combining 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 could contribute towards sustainable and environmentally appropriate early-season monitoring and management of L. lineolaris in the field.