Movements of Lygus Bugs Between Alfalfa and Cotton

Adults of Lygus hesperus Knight and L. elisus Van Duzee were mass collected from alfalfa hay fields. These insects were divided into 2 groups, each marked with a different fluorescent dust and released in adjacent cotton and alfalfa fields, respectively. Subsequent monitoring showed a rapid movement of the Lygus from cotton to alfalfa, but the reverse was not true. This further verified that Lygus prefer alfalfa over cotton.