Includes
Pale legume bug (Lygus elisus)
Western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus)
Pest description and crop damage Lygus bugs are Hemipteran insects with characteristic piercing-sucking mouthparts. Adults are about 0.25 inch long, half as wide, somewhat hunchbacked, flat on the abdomen, and oval in shape. Immature lygus are smaller than adults and do not have wings. Newly hatched lygus resemble aphids. Lygus bugs can feed on developing onion seed, rendering it non-viable.
Management-chemical control
- azadirachtin (Neemix 4.5) at 7 to 16 fl oz/A (0.021 to 0.049 lb ai/A). PHI 0 days. REI 4 hr. In most cases, apply at high rate. This botanical pesticide acts slowly. Spray early and check for effect. Repeat in 7 to 10 days as needed. Some formulations are OMRI-listed for organic production.