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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322273
Research Project: Integrated Insect Pest and Resistance Management on Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybean, and Sweet Potato

Location: Southern Insect Management Research

Title: Demographic parameters of Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) reared on two diets developed for Lygus spp

Author
item Portilla, Maribel
item SNODGRASS, GORDON
item STREET, DOUG - U.S. FOREST SERVICE (FS)
item LUTTRELL, RANDALL

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/29/2015
Publication Date: 12/21/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/61781
Citation: Portilla, M., Snodgrass, G.L., Street, D., Luttrell, R.G. 2015. Demographic parameters of Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) reared on two diets developed for Lygus spp. Journal of Insect Science. 15(1):165. doi: 10.1093/jisesa/iev144.

Interpretive Summary: The requirement for plant material to rear N. viridula is expensive and labor intensive. Reduce the cost and increasing reliability and simplicity of its production would greatly enhance biological research and possibly facilitate the production of biological control agents. The objectives of this study were to evaluate two Lygus diets (FYD and DYD) as an alternative food source for rearing N. viridula. The biological and demographic parameters obtained in this investigation confirmed that the Lygus diet FYD has the potential to mass rear N. viridula. The use of raw yolk chicken egg in FYD as a part of a semisolid diet, appeared to satisfy the apparent requirement for protein. However, investigations are needed that examine the potential of this diet for continuous rearing and mass production. Colonies of L. hesperus and L. lineolaris have been maintained on FYD for over 10 years with no detrimental changes of its reproduction. Perhaps N. viridula can be similarly reared on FYD.

Technical Abstract: Two artificial diets developed for rearing Lygus spp., a fresh yolk chicken egg based-diet (FYD) and a dry yolk chicken egg based-diet (DYD), were evaluated as an alternative food source for rearing the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Survival to adult was 97.3% and 74.67%, respectively, on the fresh and dry yolk diets. Insects fed FYD had 100% survival of nymphs from first through fourth instars. Adult development was significantly shorter on FYD (30.37 ± SE 0.30 days) as compered to DYD (32.77 ± SE 0.16 days). Increased male and female longevity, higher fecundity, and larger egg mass sizes were also observed with N. viridula fed FYD. However, fertility and hatchability was higher on DYD. A complete cohort life table was constructed to describe the development of N. viridula on both diets.