30 October 1984* PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH. 86(4), 1984, -pp. 845-860 AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE MIRIDAE (HETEROPTERA) FOUND IN THE YAZOO-MISSISSIPPI DELTA AND ASSOCIATED AREAS IN ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA G. L. SNODGRASS, T. J. HENRY, AND W. P. SCOTT (GLS) Department of Entomology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762; (TJH) Systematic Entomology Laboratory, IIBIJI, USDA- ARS, % U.S. National Museum, Washington, DC 20560; (WPS) Southern Field Crop Insect Management Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, Mississippi 38776. Abstract. -A list of the Miridae found in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta and in associated areas in Arkansas and Louisiana is compiled from sweepnet, beating net, and black light trap samples taken from September 1981 through October 1982, and during May 1983. A total of 107 species representing 47 genera are reported. Thirty-nine species are considered new state records for Mississippi, 10 for Louisiana, and 5 for Arkansas. Months of collection, hosts, and methods of collection are given for each species studied. The plant bug family Miridae is the largest and most diverse family found in the Hemiptera-Heteroptera. Most species are phytophagous, although an increas- ingly large number of species are known to be predatory. The best sources for information on the distribution and life cycles of species occurring in the eastern United States are the works of Blatchley (1926) and Knight (1923, 1941). In the Southeast, species of Miridae have been listed from Florida (Frost, 1964, 1966, 1969, and 1975), Georgia (Henry and Smith, 1979), Louisiana and Mississippi (Khalaf, 197 1), North Carolina (Brimley, 1938; Wray, l 950 and 1967), and West Virginia (Wheeler et al., 1983). The mirid species composition ofthe Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (Fig. 1) is largely unrecorded, with the exception of several crop species. The Delta, one of ten physiographic regions in Mississippi, is drained by several streams that empty into the Yazoo River that in turn empties into the Mississippi River near Vicks- burg, MS. It is one ofthe most fertile bodies ofland in the world (Bennett, 1921), and most ofthe land has been cleared ofits native vegetation for crop production. The forests that remain are mostly restricted to state and national parks and the area found between the Mississippi River and its flood levees. Areas found along drainage ditches and between the ditches and cultivated land contain many of the species of woody and herbaceous vascular plants found in the Delta. The vascular flora of the Delta differed from that of surrounding areas by lacking at least 28 native species of trees, although many now have been introduced (Gunn et al., 1980; Little, 1971 and 1977). In addition to habitat reduction, the mirid fauna ofthe Delta has also been pressured by the use ofinsecticides for agricultural pests. In the past, insecticides were commonly applied to crops (especially cotton) 84.6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON on a scheduled basis regardless of need, and the use ofmore than 10 applications in a single season was not uncommon. These insecticides may have reduced the number of mind species in the Delta because of the proximity of many of the suitable mirid habitats to sprayed fields. Because of the importance of the Delta as an agricultural area, this study was initiated to investigate and understand more fully plant bug-host relationships and plant bug distribution in the Delta. This study also helps document the species composition of Miridae found in the Delta so that changes in the mirid fauna potentially can be detected. Miridae listed here were collected from September 1981 through October 1982, and during May 1983, at the sample locations shown in Fig. 1. Miridae were taken by sweepnet from the main crops and by sweepnet and beating net from wild plants growing in or near the crops. Samples were taken at each location at least on a monthly basis, except for samples at Vicksburg and Port Gibson, Mississippi that were taken during May 1983. Additional specimens also were collected in black light traps located at Greenville, MS; Mound, LA; and West Memphis, AR. A few species of Miridae were collected in pitfall traps placed in a small wooded area near Stoneville, MS. Seven-hundred and eleven host-plant specimens were collected and are deposited at The Institute for Botanical Explo- ration, Botany Department, Mississippi State liniversity, Mississippi State, MS. One hundred and seven species ofMiridae representing 7 subfamilies, 13 tribes, and 47 genera were collected in the study. All were identified by the second author; specimens are deposited at the Mississippi Entomological Museum, Entomology Department, Mississippi State University, and the U.S. National Museum of Natural History. The classification system used in the list follows that used by Wheeler et al. (1983). All apparent new state records are marked with an asterisk. Although five possibly new species were discovered, they are not included in the present work. They will be treated in future papers by the second author. State, county, and plant host(s) (when available) are given for each species. Those species collected in a black light trap (BLT) are indicated. During some months only adults or only nymphs were collected on the host plant(s) listed. These months are preceded by (A) for adults only, or (N) for nymphs only. Authors and common names for the host plants are given in Table 1. SUBFAMILY ISOMETOPINAE Tribe Diphlebini Diphleps unica Bergroth. *MISSISSIPPI-Washington Co.: (A) July, on Taxo- diumn distichum. Tribe Isometopini Corticoris signatus (Heidemann). *MISSISSIPPI Washington Co.: (A) June, on Taxodium distichum. SUBFAMILY PHYLINAE Tribe Phylini Keltonia sulphurea (Reuter). ARKANSAS -Phillips Co.: Aug.-Sept., on Ambrosia artemisfifolia; Sept., on Eupatorium serotinum. Chicot Co.: Sept., on Iva annua and A. artemisiffolia. Desha Co.: (A) Sept., on Xanthium strumarium. LOUI- VOLUME 86, NUMBER 4 847 Arkansas 14 Louisiana - -- - EASTERN BOUNDARY vMISSISSIPPI RIVER LACK LIGHT TRAP * LOCATIONS I Fig. 1. Sample locations used in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta and associated areas in Arkansas and Louisiana (redrawn after Gunn et al., 1980). The sample locations were: (1) Tinica, MS, Tunica Co.; (2) Alligator, MS, Bolivar Co.; (3) Greenville, MS, Washington Co.; (4) Stoneville, MS, Washington Co.; (5) Indianola, MS, Sunflower Co.; (6) Money, MS, Leflore Co.; (7) Louise, MS, Humphreys Co.; (8) Onward, MS, Sharkey Co.; (9) Vicksburg, MS, Warren Co.; (10) Port Gibson, MS, Caiborne Co.; (I 1) Shearervifle, AR, Crittenden Co.; (12) West Memphis, AR, Phillips Co.; (13) Marvel, AR, Phillips Co.; (14) Watson, AR, Desha Co.; (15) Lake Village, AR, Chicot Co.; (16) Millikin, LA, East Carroll Par.; (17) Talla Bena, LA, Madison Par.; (18) Mound, LA, Madison Par. 848 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON Table 1. Host plants of Miridae in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta and associated areas in Arkansas and Louisiana. Scientific Name Common Name Acer negundo L. boxelder Allium vineale L. wild garlic Amaranthus hybridus L. smooth pigweed A. palmeri Wats. Palmer amaranth A. retroflexus L. redroot pigweed A. spinosus L. spiny amaranth A. viridis L. slender amaranth Ambrosia artemisilfolia L. common ragweed, small ragweed A. trifida L. giant ragweed Amorpha fruticosa L. false-indigo Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Koehne peppervine Anoda cristata (L.) Schlecht. spurred anoda Anthemis cotula L. mayweed Aster pilosus Willd. white heath aster, frost aster A. subulatus Michx. var. ligulatus Shinners aster Baccharis halimifolia L. groundsel-tree, eastern baccharis Berchemia scandens (Hill) K. Koch Alabama supplejack Bidens frondosa L. devils beggarticks Bromus japonicus Japanese brome Brunnichia ovata (Wah.) Shinners ladies' eardrops Carya aquaica (Michx. f.) Nutt. water hickory C. iiinoensis (Wang) K. Koch pecan Cassia facsiculata Michx. partridge-pea Celtis laevigata Wilid. sugarberry Cephalanthus occidentalis L. buttonbush Chenopodium album L. common lambsquarters C. ambrosioides L. Mexican-tea Commelina virginica L. dayflower Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. plains coreopsis, tickseed Cornus drummondli C. A. Mey roughleaf dogwood C. stricta Lam. swamp dogwood Crataegus viridis L. green hawthorn Croton capitatis Michx. woolly croton Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. bermudagrass Cyperus rotundus L. purple nutsedge, cocograss Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koel. southern crabgrass Diospyros virginiana L. persimmon Dracopis amplexicaulis (Vahl) Cass. coneflower Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. eclipta, yerba de tajo Eleusine indica (L.) Gaemn goosegrass Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. annual fleabane E. bonariensis L. engeron E. canadensis L. horseweed E. philadephicus L. daisy fleabane, Philadelphia fleabane E. strigosus Muhl. ex. Willd. rough fleabane Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small dog-fennel E. incarnatum Walt. eupatorium E. serotinum Michx. late eupatorium Euphorbia humistrata A. Gray silver-leafed spurge E. maculata L. prostrate spurge, spotted spurge E. nutans Lag. eyebane VOLUME 86, NUMBER 4 849 Table 1. Continued. Scientific Name Common Name Forestiera acuminata (Michx.) Poir. swamp privet Frax/nus pennsylvanica Marsh. green ash Gal/um aparine L. catchweed bedstraw Geranium carolinianum L. Carolina geranium G. dissecturm L. cutleaf -geranium Gossypium hirsutum L. cotton Gleditsia triacanthos L. honey-locust Glycine max (L.) Merr. soybean Hackelia virginiana (L.) Johnst. beggar's lice Haplopappus divaricatus (Nutt.) Gray haplopappus Helen/um amarum