Files
Abstract
Peanut burrower bug, Pangaeus bilineatus (Say), is a piercing-sucking pest of peanut, Arachis hypogaea (L.), native to North America. It feeds directly on seed through the hull, reducing the crop’s value by approximately $209/MT at ≥3.5% injury by weight. Knowledge of P. bilineatus biology and ecology is required to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. Therefore, studies were conducted to elucidate the pest’s biology and ecology, and to optimize the design of light traps. Developmental biology of P. bilineatus was studied in a controlled environment chamber in the laboratory on a 14:10 L:D cycle, constant temperature of 29°C ± 1°C, and 55% RH ± 10%. Observations were made daily and date, time, and no. of eggs, nymphs (and life stage), and adults were recorded. Development from oviposition to adult completed in 39.5 ± 3.0 days through 5 nymphal instars. Immature life stages last 3.7 – 8.1 days and head capsule width (0.46 – 1.68 mm) progressively increases as nymphs age. Females produced 129.0 ± 80.8 eggs and lived 88.7 ± 31.2 days. Studies also indicate 1st instar nymphs need an adult female present to molt to the second instar.Pangaeus bilineatus is sporadic, thus, research was conducted to identify significant contributing landscape and environmental factors to peanut injury. Injury data from Georgia, US was acquired for years 2016 – 2018 and generalized linear models were constructed using compositional, configurational, and environmental covariates to identify significant predictors of injury. Associations of P. bilineatus peanut injury were observed with landcover proportions of ‘peanut’, ‘cotton’, ‘forest’, and ‘other agriculture’, richness of crops/non-crops, field size, elevation, edge density, soil texture, precipitation, and irrigation.
Light traps and pitfall traps are the only tools currently available for monitoring P. bilineatus. Optimizing light traps with the most attractive light source could provide a more useful tool for IPM. Adults’ response to various wavelengths of light were evaluated in a two-choice bioassay. White fluorescent wavelengths attracted significantly more adults and should be tested in the field. Information from these studies expands our understanding of P. bilineatus biology and ecology and should lead to future research and an IPM strategy.