Southern chinch bug (Blissus insularis Barber) attraction to host plant and conspecific volatiles

The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber, is a major pest of warm season grasses, particularly St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze). Nymphs and adults feed together at the base of plants. Feeding damage by large aggregations results in yellowing, followed by the death of the plant. The mechanisms responsible for the formation and maintenance of dense chinch bug aggregations in the field have never been explored. In this study, we looked at the attraction of chinch bugs to volatile cues and signals from both their host plants and the chinch bugs themselves. In y-tube and small arena setups, we tested attraction of chinch bugs to (1) aggregations of males, females and nymphs, (2) aggregations composed of males, females OR nymphs, (3) long or short-winged adult morphs, (4) grass volatiles alone and in combination with chinch bug volatiles, (5) chinch bugs in the presence of predators, and (6) headspace collections of attractive chinch bug odors. We will discuss how knowledge of southern chinch bug aggregation behavior can lead to the development of new pest management practices for this bug.