Biological comparisons of Mississippi Delta and Hills populations of the tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris): development time, survival, fecundity, and hatch

The tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris) is the most serious pest of cotton in Mississippi. Economic data indicates that L. lineolaris is a much more serious pest in the area of Mississippi known as the Delta. Previous research has indicated that biological differences exist between the populations of L. lineolairs in the Delta of Mississippi and the region known as the Hills. Laboratory rearing experiments were conducted to reevaluate these differences with a larger number of colonies from each region and on a larger variety of food types. Comparisons between the two populataions were made of development time, survival, fecundity, and percentage of egg hatch on artificial diet, broccoli, corn, cotton, green beans, and pigweed. Data show that region had no interaction with food type or as a main effect for any of the variables measured. Differences between food types were seen for development time, survival, and fecundity but not the percentage of egg hatch. These results indicate that these two populations are not biologically different but that L. lineolairs does respond to differences in food types. Other reasons for the economic differences seen, such as differences in the landscape ecology of the two regions, should be considered.