Meridic Diet for Rearing Successive Generations of Lygus hesperus12

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Abstract
An artificial diet is described that was developed and tested for rearing Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae). Nymphs were sucessfully reared both individually and en masse on this diet. Developmental time from 1st instar to adult on the artificial diet was comparable to that on green beans. Females reared on diet laid more eggs and lived longer than those reared on green beans. Percent hatch of eggs laid by diet-reared bugs was 5.5% lower than that of eggs laid by green bean-reared bugs, but diet-reared bugs weighed more than those reared on green beans. Lygus hesperus were reared continuously on the artificial diet for >13 generations. In culture, the percentage of 1st-stage nymphs reaching the adult stage was 16.7% greater on artificial diet than on a green bean-coddled beet armyworm diet. This is the First report of continuous rearing of any mirid species on artificial diet.

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