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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #157992
Title: ENHANCED OVIPOSITON IN THE INSIDIOUS FLOWER BUG, ORIUS INSIDIOSUS (HEMIPTERA: ANTHOCORIDAE) WITH A PARTIALLY PURIFIED NUTRITIONAL FACTOR FROM PREY EGGS

Author
item Ferkovich, Stephen
item Shapiro, Jeffrey

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2005
Publication Date: 9/25/2005
Citation: Ferkovich, S.M., Shapiro, J.P. 2005. Enhanced ovipositon in the insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) with a partially purified nutritional factor from prey eggs. Florida Entomologist. 88:253-257.

Interpretive Summary: The insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), is a polyphagous predator that feeds on thrips, aphids, mites, and whiteflies, and on eggs and small larvae of other insects. O. insidiosus is produced on natural hosts by over 33 commercial producers of beneficial insects. Scientists at the Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, ARS, Gainesville, FL are isolating chemical factors from various prey of predatory insects that stimulate growth and reproductive development of predators. From chemical analysis of prey eggs they discovered a component of prey eggs that stimulates egg production when added to an artificial diet for O. insidiosus. Once the nutritional factor is identified the scientists envison its use as a nutritional supplement needed to improve growth and reproduction of Orius species reared on artificial diets.

Technical Abstract: The insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus, can be maintained on a minimal artificial diet (control diet) composed of brewers yeast, soy protein hydrolysate and chicken yolk but the fecundity is poor even though level of protein in the diet exceeds the amount consumed by adults fed eggs of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella. To determine what components of prey eggs were responsible for the higher level of egg production egg homogenates were applied to desalting columns. The desalted proteins were collected, freeze-dried, and fractionated by isoelectric focusing (pH 3-10 gradient). Resultant fractions were bioassayed in test diets. Ovipositional rates were evaluated using a short 1-week bioassay. Adult predators were placed on the diets the third day after eclosion and allowed to feed for six days and provided with an oviposition substrate for 24 hrs on day seven. Egg production was significantly increased only in a fraction with an isoelectric point of pH 5. SDS-PAGE revealed the presence of several Commassie blue-stained bands. These results point to a specific chemical factor required by females of Orius insidiosus for egg laying.