Associate Professor, Extension Specialist University of Georgia Tifton, Georgia
Peanut burrower bug (PBB), Pangaeus bilineatus Say (Hemiptera: Cydnidae), is a severe pest of peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., in the Southeast US. Adults and nymphs feed directly on peanut seed with piercing sucking mouthparts reducing seed quality and value. Little is known of the insect’s biology; therefore, multiple studies were conducted to describe PBB developmental biology, morphometrics, and parental care. Adults were paired in 266 mL resealable plastic containers (11×8×5cm) with screened lids, 70g of sterile sandy loam soil wetted to ~15% VWC, and peanut seed for food. To define PBB life cycle, soil was cycled to collect fresh eggs each day. To define fecundity and longevity, virgin adults were collected by maturing 5th instar nymphs in isolation, then placed in containers. In either study, containers were checked daily for eggs, nymphs, and adults; date, time, no. of eggs, no. of nymphs and their life stage, and/or no. of adults were recorded. Time of development from egg to adult completed in approx. 35 days through 5 nymphal instars. Instars last 3.3 – 8.5 days and head capsule width (.46 – 1.68 mm) progressively increased as nymphs age. Females produced a mean total of 78.5 ± 25.2 offspring after pairing 14 days and lived an average of 88.7 ± 31.2 days. Parental care studies indicate first instar nymphs need an adult female present to molt to successive instars. All studies were conducted in a growth chamber (RCBD) on a 14:10 L:D cycle, constant temperature of 29°C, and 55% RH ± 10%.