Abstract
The flight velocity of free-flying adults was measured in two Miridae species, Trigonotylus caelestialium and Stenotus rubrovittatus, which are economically important pests of rice. Adults from wild populations of these species were directly used for measurement of their flight velocity using their phototactic behavior. The flight velocity (mean±SE) of Trigonotylus caelestialium was 1.04±0.060 m/s on average (1.07±0.080 m/s in females and 1.00±0.068 m/s in males), and no significant difference in flight velocity between sexes was observed. In Stenotus rubrovittatus, males flew significantly faster than females (0.96±0.084 m/s in females and 1.20±0.068 m/s in males), and the mean flight velocity was 1.09±0.058 m/s. The obtained values are available for estimating the dispersal distance in tethered flight studies of the two species.
