9/18/2023 0 Comments Leaf footed bug![]() Insecticides being tested include imidacloprid, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, sulfoxaflor, dicrotophos, acephate and oxamyl.” “Our preliminary data from the research trial will be available as early as Friday. “Currently, we do not know how damaging this bug is to cotton and where the treatment threshold should be,” Vyavhare said. The objective of the trial is to gather preliminary data on the efficacy of insecticide products against them and assess pest damage potential in cotton. Suhas Vyavhare, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cotton entomologist, Lubbock, began an insecticide trial July 12 to learn more about treatment options for Mozena bugs. They could be seen on all different kinds of crops and home plants. ![]() Porter said seeing low numbers of the bugs is typical, and on a wide variety of plants, but they will only damage mesquite, peas, beans and now, apparently, cotton. Siders said treatment considerations might more closely resemble the Lygus when present at five-plus per plant, although they are not as damaging as a Lygus would be at these numbers. The leaf-footed bug is often treated like a stink bug however, stink bugs typically do not feed on cotton squares but on bolls. They can move quickly on the ground, though. Siders said he has not found egg masses in cotton and is unsure if the nymphs hatched in the cotton field or crawled in because immatures do not have functioning wings. Nothing was left to dissect to determine a possible cause of death.” No other insects, drip cotton, good moisture, no environmental event to point a finger at, and yet squares were missing. “In a particular field I scout weekly, square set was perfect at 100% last week after the first 12 days of squaring,” he said. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Suhas Vyavhare) Siders said he has seen as many as 20-plus nymphs per cotton plant, which is a concern. ![]() “The small landowners, like 5-10 acres with mesquite, say they are covered up - plants, grass, houses.” Why the concern? “The requests this week are still for nymphs - adults yet to come,” he said. He’s received requests for bug identification as far south as Odessa. Porter said he got the first identification requests this year on July 1 for immature Mozena in their nymph stage. “We are getting reports from the Midland and Odessa area indicating high populations there as well.” “I noted them in cotton back in 2014, but not the sheer numbers I am seeing now, and it is a month earlier,” Siders said. They also feed on peas and beans.īoth Porter and Siders documented them feeding on corn and cotton in 2014. The insects’ primary host is mesquite, a legume. ![]() While they can be quite annoying, they are not harmful to humans, pets or most homeowner plants unless the infestation levels are very high. “The common thread from 2014 to 2022 is our drought conditions,” said Siders. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Brooke Vasquez) More than 20 Mozena bugs infest a mesquite branch. ![]()
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