Dysdercus cingulatus (red cotton stainer)

An early indication of attack by D. cingulatus is the feeding damage caused by adult and nyphs on the flower buds and seeds of cotton. Feeding of this and other species of Dysdercus on cotton bolls causes the boll to abort and shed (Pomeroy and Golding, 1923) (see Economic Impact).

Cultural Control

Some cultural methods may reduce damage caused by D. cingulatus in cotton. One of the most effective methods is the removal and destruction of all standing cotton by a fixed date, as soon as the cotton has been picked and ceased to bear any profitable yield (Pomeroy and Golding, 1923). The elimination of trees, such as Bombax, and other wild malvaceous plants is also strongly recommended.

The boll is the only part of the cotton plant that is attacked by D. cingulatus (Pomeroy and Golding, 1923). When the bolls are ripening and the carpels opening, the bug inserts the rostrum between the carpels and sucks the juices from the soft and developed seeds, injuring the cotyledons and causing the seed to wither and the lint to be uniformly stained. In many cases the fibre does not mature and expand but remains adhered together causing the lint to become quite valueless.Dysdercus species are thought to be the most serious pests of cotton (van Doesburg, 1968). In piercing the boll they introduce microorganisms which cause the bolls to rot, or the lint to become discolored, hence the common name 'cotton stainers'; this greatly reduces yields in cotton-growing countries.