Reproduction and dispersal of wing-clipped predatory stinkbugs, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Podisus nigrispinus</Emphasis> in cotton fields |
| |
Authors: | Robério C S Neves Jorge B Torres Lucia M Vivan |
| |
Institution: | 1.Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco,Recife,Brazil;2.Funda??o Mato Grosso,Rondonopolis,Brazil |
| |
Abstract: | Release of arthropod predators holds promise for suppressing herbivorous insect populations in commercial crops below economic
threshold levels, but dispersal from release sites remains a practical issue that can limit their impact. This study examined
mating behavior, survival, reproduction, and dispersion of membranous wing-clipped and wing-intact adults of the predatory
stinkbug Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), a generalist predator of cotton pests in South America. After laboratory studies demonstrated
that wing-clipping did not alter mating behavior or reproductive output, field studies were conducted in experimental plots.
In each experiment, 50 mated females (5–10 days old) were released at a central point. After 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, dispersion
was measured via drop-cloth samples at distances up to 16 m from the release point. After 96 h, plants on each survey and
release point were collected and, in the laboratory, they were inspected for egg masses. During the first 24 to 48 h after
release, predators from both groups disappeared, but recovery of the wing-clipped predators was significantly greater (38.6%
for wing-clipped and 17.3% for wing-intact predators) in all three releases. Importantly, oviposition rates on the release
site were about three times greater for wing-clipped females (0.07 vs. 0.02 egg masses per plant), indicating that limiting
flight induces females to stay and lay their eggs, hence, allowing local establishment of a new generation of predators.
This research is part of a larger project looking for improvement of natural predators into sustainable pest management conducted
by the biological control and insect ecology laboratory (lead by Jorge B. Torres) of the “Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
(UFRPE) at Recife, PE, Brazil.
Handling Editor: Patrick De Clercq |
| |
Keywords: | Asopinae Augmentative release Mating behavior Limited-flight predator Reproductive success |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|