EFFECT OF AN ARTIFICIAL DIET ON WEIGHT, ADULT SURVIVORSHIP, AND FECUNDITY OF THE PENTATOMID PREDATOR PODISUS MACULIVENTRIS SAY

Authors: WITTMEYER, JENNIFER - UNIV OF MISSOURI; Coudron, Thomas

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting North Central Branch
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Weight, adult survivorship, and fecundity of the beneficial predator, Podisus maculiventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), fed on an insect-free artificial diet or Trichoplusia ni larvae (controls) were examined. Development of diet-fed individuals was slower than for controls; 83.7% and 87.9% reached the adult stage in 22 days and 17 days for diet-fed and controls, respectively. Both male and female pre-mated adult weights of diet-fed individuals were significantly less than the controls. The diet severely affected fecundity; resulting in a lower number of eggs laid per female, and a lower percent hatch, as compared to controls. The effect of the artificial diet on reproduction was further examined in three mating groups. In one group, diet-fed females and males were switched to T. ni larvae when mated, to test their ability to recover from the diet. For another group, diet-fed females were mated with control males, to examine the reproductive capacity of diet-fed females. The last group examined th reproductive capacity of diet-fed males, by mating them with control females. Eggs laid per female, percent hatch, and percent molt to the second stadium for the mating groups was examined.