LYGUS BUGS ON COTTON 



. . . how to control them 



Lygus bugs 1 are the principal insect 

 pests of cotton in western areas of the 

 United States; they are especially de- 

 structive where extensive alfalfa hay 

 and seed crops are produced near cot- 

 tonfields, and where large pasture areas 

 dry up in early summer. In the South 

 lygus bugs often become abundant on 

 weeds and leguminous crops, and may 

 move to nearby cotton and cause severe 

 damage. 



DEVELOPMENT 



Lygus bugs develop in three 

 stages — egg, nymph, and adult. 



Female adults use their swordlike 



1 Lygus hesperus is the predominant species 

 in western areas; L. lineolaris, known as the 

 tarnished plant bug, is prevalent in the South. 

 Other species of lygus bugs damage cotton, 

 but usually are of minor importance. 



ovipositors to lay eggs in plant tissues, 

 particularly in stems and leaf petioles. 

 Eggs are tiny, elongate, and slightly 

 curved. 



Nymphs hatch from the eggs. They 

 resemble adults in general appearance, 

 but do not have fully developed wings ; 

 they can run rapidly, but cannot fly. 

 They molt five times before becoming 

 adults. The life cycle is completed in 

 about 4 weeks in summer; it takes 

 longer in other seasons. 



Adults are flat and about one-fourth 

 inch long. They range in color from 

 straw green to dark brown, and have 

 a conspicuous lighter colored triangle 

 between the wings. 



When disturbed by the cutting of a 

 host crop such as alfalfa, or when the 

 plants are no longer attractive as food, 

 adults fly to another host crop; they 

 can fly readily from field to field. They 

 hide in plant foliage during the day 

 when the weather is hot. 



