Biology and Management of Peanut Burrower Bug (Hemiptera: Cydnidae) in Southeast U.S. Peanut

Peanut burrower bug, Pangaeus bilineatus (Say), is a piercing-sucking pest of peanut, Arachis hypogaea (L.), that is native to Central and North America. The insect spends most of its life below the soil surface and is not easily detected in the field. Although injury to peanut is sporadic in the Southern USA, the bug has become a serious economic pest for farmers in the region in recent years. During and after peanut seed formation, adult and immature bugs feed directly on seeds through the hull, reducing the quality and value of the crop. The value of peanut is reduced by approximately $209/MT when feeding injury is present on ≥3.5% of kernels by weight. Deep tillage prior to planting and application of granular chlorpyrifos during the growing season are the only tactics currently available for managing P. bilineatus in peanut in the United States. Relatively little research attention has been focused on P. bilineatus, and improved knowledge of the insect’s biology and ecology is needed to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy that significantly reduces financial losses caused by this insect. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the taxonomic history, biology, pest status, and management of P. bilineatus primarily as it relates to peanut production systems in the Southeast USA.