Lygus rugulipennis Poppius adults and nymphs were cage in the field on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) ears just approaching the milk stage. When 2 or 5 specimens per ear were confined for about 4 wk on ripening ears, the weight of the ears and grains was significantly reduced. Germination was impaired, and the development of sprouts grown from the injured grains was poorer than that of sprouts from uninjured grains. The subsequent development of the plants showed that wheat plants grown from injured grains were smaller and produced smaller ears and grains. The number of grains per ear and the harvest index were also lower. In the laboratory when one L. rugulipennis male or female was allowed to feed on a single grain in a test tube, the grain weight, percentage germination, and height and weight of sprouts developing from these grains were negatively correlated with the length of the feeding period. The potential of lygus bugs to cause yield losses to wheat in field conditions is discussed.
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