Technique for screening cotton germplasm for resistance to tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois)

A technique involving checking cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., anthers in white flowers or medium-sized squares for discoloration associated with tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), damage is described. Using the technique, relative susceptibility of cotton lines to tarnished plant bug feeding was evaluated in multiple field tests over years. Anther damage was consistently highest for rolled-bracted cotton lines and lowest for a nectariless cultivar. This variation in resistance to plant bugs is consistent with previous reports. Thus, the anther damage technique is a simple, rapid, and effective means that cotton breeders and entomologists can use to evaluate resistance to plant bugs.