Blackmer, Jacquelyn L. and Byers, John A. 2009. Lygus spp. (Heteroptera: Miridae) Host-Plant Interactions with
Lesquerella fendleri (Brassicaceae), a New Crop in the Arid Southwest Environmental Entomology
38(1):159-167. pdf
Abstract:
Lesquerella fendleri is a new crop being cultivated in the arid Southwest for the hydroxy
fatty acids found in its seed oils; however, little is know about the agricultural pests that will affect
the seed production of this crop or the role the crop may have as a possible source or sink for current
agricultural pests in the Arizona landscape. In the early spring, lygus bugs, some of our most important
agricultural pests, are normally found in relatively small numbers on weeds; however, as lesquerella
production increases, it may serve as an important early-season host for lygus. Here we present results
from olfactometer bioassays that showed a signiȚcant attraction by Lygus hesperus females to volatiles
associated with fowering lesquerella. Headspace volatiles of fowering lesquerella were collected and
identiȚed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and phenylacetaldehyde (PAA) was found to
be the major component, followed by benzaldehyde and Z-3-hexenyl acetate. In the field, we
examined the Lygus spp. complex, as well as the prevalence of other herbivores and select predators,
and monitored their responses to unbaited sticky traps of various colors and PAA-baited green and
blue sticky traps. Green, blue, and clear sticky traps captured significantly more Lygus spp. (L. elisus
in particular) than opaque yellow and red traps, but PAA-baited blue and green traps did not capture
more lygus than unbaited traps. Collops spp., however, were collected in higher numbers on PAA-baited
traps, suggesting that this compound might provide a means of recruiting and/or retaining this
particular natural enemy.