Monday, November 15, 2004
D0102

Characterizing the overwintering and emergence behaviors of the adult squash bug, Anasa tristis

Jesse A. Eiben, varanusmoss@msn.com and Jonathan V. Edelson, jedelson-okstate@lane-ag.org. Oklahoma State University, Entomology and Plant Pathology, 127 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK

As an important pest of cucurbits, the squash bug, Anasa tristis, has been a difficult insect to control. In southern Oklahoma, adult squash bugs leave infested fields to overwinter in protected sites and return to these fields in late spring. Overwintered adults rapidly invade fields of cucurbit seedlings and cause stunted growth and death of the host plant. The behaviors and movement of these adults are poorly understood, and this knowledge could be useful for control of this pest. During the late winter and spring of 2003 and 2004 a mark-recapture survey was conducted to determine the locations and movements of adult squash bugs in Lane, OK. All bugs found were marked with acrylic paint. Likely overwintering sites such as logs and wood piles yielded some insects, but samples of ground level debris held no bugs. May 7th, 2003, and April 27, 2004 were the days of first emergence. During the springs of 2003 and 2004, a field of about 100 squash plants was sampled 5 times weekly from early May to June. During this time about 4,500 squash bugs were marked and their movement was monitored in the field and surrounding area. The immigration and emigration in the field showed that from 30-80% of bugs found daily were newly marked while the total population held steady. This shows adult squash bugs immigrate and emigrate continuously throughout the spring in higher numbers than previously thought.


Species 1: Heteroptera Coreidae Anasa tristis (squash bug)
Keywords: emergence, immigration