SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF THE MULLEIN BUG, CAMPYLOMMA-VERBASCI (MEYER) (HETEROPTERA, MIRIDAE), ON APPLE AND MULLEIN IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY

The mullein bug, Campylomma verbasci (Meyer) (Heteroptera: Miridae), was studied in and around 17 apple orchards in the Okanagan Valley during 1982-1984. Apple and pear were overwintering hosts and the principal perennial hosts during summer months. Campylomma verbasci was the most abundant mirid on apple and occurred in 16 orchards, with two or three generations per year. Nymphs first emerged from overwintered eggs near full bloom, but variation in timing occurred between orchards and years. Population densities of C. verbasci were higher (P < 0.05) in unsprayed than in sprayed orchards, but no differences were observed between commercial and "organic" orchards. In June, some adults moved onto herbaceous plant hosts, primarily common mullein, Verbascum thapsus L. Two generations of C. verbasci were found on mullein and the bugs were distributed in an aggregated pattern. Significant associations occurred among height, raceme length, or flower number of mullein plants and the number of C. verbasci on them. From mid-August to October, adult numbers declined on mullein and increased on apple. The number of mullein plants per orchard was not always associated with the density of overwintered C. verbasci in the following year.