Effects of Age, Sex, and Reproductive Status on Flight by the Tarnished Plant Bug (Heteroptera: Miridae)

We determined the frequency and duration of flight by tarnished plant bugs, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvais), on flight mills. An average maximum speed of 0.45 m/s (≍1.6 km/h) was observed during sustained flights. Bugs of prereproductive (< d old) age flew much less than older individuals. Females made more long-duration flights and flew longer than did males. Mating status had no effect on flight activity, but females with chorionated eggs flew more than females without eggs. The single-flight durations of young, parous females were longest. This information supports studies showing that early-reproductive females were more likely to colonize new habitat patches than were males or prereproductive females.