What is a Lygus Bug?

Simply stated, Lygus bugs are pest insects.  For many years it was believed that Lygus were rare and very minor pests in greenhouse crops.  However, over the last 6 years, insect pest researchers have realized that the damaged caused by Lygus bugs in the greenhouse setting is far more extensive than originally believed.  It is a generalist insect, which can be hosted by over 300 plant species, including cucumber plants, pepper plants and several tree species.  No part of the plant is safe as the insect will feed off of the fruit of the plant just as easily as it can eat the leaves, stem or growing tips of the plant.  

For many years it was assumed that Lygus Lineolaris was the only species that occurred in greenhouses, since it is the major pest Lygus Bug in the rest of North America.  Research has determined that in the Fraser Valley, Lygus Shull, Hesperus and Elisus are all potential greenhouse pests.  However, invasions of Lygus bugs in greenhouses are irregular and unpredictable.  Just because a large number of Lygus bug adults are found in a crop, does not necessarily mean that the crop will be damaged by the insect.  However, despite the unpredictability of the insect's activities, the damaged caused by the insect can be very extensive and cause a large reduction in crop value and yield.  This is a dramatic and costly problem in an industry where 1 hectare of greenhouses has an approximate production value of $600,000.  
 
The Damage:                                              The Culprits:
 
 Damage to Pine Cucumber Node Damage Red Pepper Damage  Cucumber Leaf Damage                        Lygus Shulli Adult First Instar Shulli Elisus Second Instar Lygus Adult

Links to other Lygus Research

Lygus Bugs on the Canadian Prairies - Presents keys to the adults and nymphs of the pest species of Lygus encountered in the Prairie Provinces, accompanied by diagnoses and illustrations detailing the variation of each species, and a review of the pertinent literature.

University of California Integrated Pest Management - Information about Lygus Hesperus and Elisus as pest insects on apple trees.

Lygus Bugs in Canola - A research project studying the density of Lygus lineolaris, Lygus borealis, Lygus elisus and Lygus keltoni on Canola plantations in Alberta

                                                                                              Return to Table of Contents                                                                    Go to the Next Page