Plant bug Adelphocoris seticornis

Adelphocoris seticornis belongs to the order Hemiptera and the family Miridae. It is a polyphagous pest widely distributed across forest and forest-steppe zones, primarily feeding on the succulent tissues of various herbaceous plants.

The pest affects a wide range of crops, including legumes like alfalfa, sainfoin, and clover, as well as industrial crops such as flax and sunflowers. It is also frequently found on vegetable crops and various weeds that act as natural reservoirs for the population.

The life cycle consists of the egg stage, five larval instars, and the adult stage. The species overwinters in the egg stage, with females depositing eggs inside the stems of host plants. In the spring, once temperatures remain consistently warm, larvae hatch and begin actively feeding on plant sap.

Damage symptoms include discoloration, deformation, and wilting of leaves and stems. Necrotic spots form at the sites where the insect has pierced the plant tissue with its proboscis. The most significant damage occurs during the budding and flowering phases, leading to flower and fruit drop, which significantly reduces seed yield.

Control measures involve agronomic practices such as weed management, crop rotation, and deep plowing after harvest. If insect populations exceed the economic threshold, chemical control using systemic or contact insecticides is recommended, targeting the period when the larvae are most active.