Species of herbivorous bugs in sunflower crops in the central agro-climatic zone of the Krasnodar region

One of the factors limiting high and qualitative yields of sunflower seeds is pests. Phytophages injure plants of the crop during the whole vegetative period causing growth and development disorders, and sometimes plants depth. Together, insects play the important role in distribution of pathogens, especially fungi from genera Alternaria, Fusarium, Rhizopus, and Puccinia, as well as bacteria. Among phytophages on sunflower, the most harmful are herbivorous bugs (class Hemiptera) of fleahopper (Miridae) and stinkbug (Pentatomidae) families. Bugs feeds on plants sap, they suck it out of the different plant organs. The basic oil crop in the Krasnodar region is sunflower. In 2021 its sowing area accounted to 442 thousand ha. Breaks of scientifically substituted cultivation technology lead to deterioration of phytosanitary state of sunflower crops by means of concentration of pathogens, including herbivorous bugs. The purpose of the research was to determine species and prevalence of bugs and their dominating species in sunflower crops in the Krasnodar region for the further development of protection measures. The result showed in the central zone of the Krasnodar region the sunflower crops are inhabited with 12 species of bugs from the families: Miridae, Pentatomidae, Alydidae and Coreidae. Prevalence of tarnished plant bug (Lygus pratensis (Linnaeus, 1758) and bishop bug (Lygus rugulipennis (Popp., 1911) was high (60 and 80%, respectively), and sloe bug (Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus, 1758) was maximal -100%. A sloe bug prevailed in sunflower crops -36.1%.