Seasonal development
and life cycle—Lygus bugs
Lygus bugs overwinter as adults in plant debris, in crowns of plants, and in uncultivated areas
adjacent to the garden. Their favored overwintering hosts are alfalfa, yellow starthistle, Russian
thistle, wild radish, sweet clover, wild mustard, lupine, and vetch.
Adults mate in spring when the weather warms up
and lay eggs on a wide range of broadleaf plants.
Eggs are inserted into plant tissues flush with
the tissue surface. They hatch in 1 to 4 weeks,
depending on temperature, and there are five nymphal
instars. The first four instars require 2 to 7
days each, and the fifth instar requires 4 to 10
days. Newly emerged females begin laying eggs
in about 10 days. There are three to four overlapping
generations each year.
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Lygus
bug nymphs
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