LAUSR

The western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae), can cause serious losses to strawberry, vegetables, and field crops in the western US. Often, fifth instars are noticed walking at the perimeter of crop fields. However, little is known of their walking capacity and dispersal. A series of laboratory and field studies were used to record the walking capacity of fifth instars. Starved nymphs moved farther (∼2×) than non-starved individuals in a laboratory. Fifth instars also traveled farther (as many as 12 m in 15 minutes) as surface temperature warmed. Wind velocity had no effect on nymphal movement.