Author Institution: Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, U. S. Department of Agricultur

Landis, B. J.

The Ohio Journal of Science

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INSECT HOSTS AND NYMPHAL DEVELOPMENT OFPODISUS MACULIVENTRIS SAY ANDPERILLUS BIOCULATUS F.(HEMIPTERA, PENTATOMIDAE)B. J. LANDIS,Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine,U. S. Department of AgricultureTwo predacious pentatomids found commonly in Ohio,Podisus maculiventris Say and Perillus bioculatus F., have beenobserved feeding on various insects and insect stages in thefield. It seems probable that many insects are fed upon attimes because of the absence of more favorable hosts. Theoreti-cally, a favorable host is one that allows rapid growth and causeslittle mortality in the predator population supported by it.Presented here are results of attempts to classify a few of theinsects fed upon by these two predators, their suitability beingmeasured by the rate of growth and percent of mortalityoccurring among sets of nymphs reared in the insectary.Available insects found to be acceptable to nymphs ofPodisus maculiventris were the Colorado potato beetle (Lepti-notarsa decemlineata Say), the asparagus beetle (Criocerisasparagi L.), the three-lined potato beetle (Lema trilineataOliv.), the Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis Muls.),the fall web worm {Hyphantria cunea Dru.), and the diamond-back moth {Plutella maculipennis Curt.). Nymphs of Perillusbioculatus were reared on the Colorado potato beetle, theasparagus beetle, the three-lined potato beetle, the cabbagelooper (Autographa brassicae Riley), and the spinach flea beetle(Disonycha xanthomelaena Dalm.).The larvae of two species of host insects were reared on anumber of cultivated plants and weeds. Sets of larvae of thesame species so reared are considered as having been plant-conditioned according to the kind of plant on which feedingoccurred. Plant-conditioned larvae of Leptinotarsa decem-lineata were reared on potato, tomato, eggplant, ornamentaltobacco (Nicotiana affimis), matrimony vine {Solanum dul-camara), bull nettle (Solanum carolinense), and an ornamental,Solanum atropurpureum. Plant-conditioned larvae of Lematrilineata were reared on jimsonweed (Datura stramonium),trumpet flower (Datura cornucopia), Chinese lantern flower(Physalis francheti), and an ornamental, Solanum arboreum.252No. 4 INSECT HOSTS OF PODISUS AND PERILLUS 253TECHNIQUEPredator eggs were collected from the field and from pairsof adults confined in the insectary. Nymphs molting from thephytophagous first instar to the carnivorous second instarwere placed in separate small shell vials to which a constanttype of food was supplied daily. The size and number ofindividuals of the hosts placed in each vial were increased asthe nymphs grew so that there was an excess of easily availablefood present at all times.Podisus maculiventris SayEggs of at least three species of hosts fed upon in the larval,the pupal, and occasionally the adult stage do not appear tobe acceptable food for the nymphs of this predator. Of 24second-instar nymphs confined with eggs of Epilachna varivestis,all but two died within four days and without feeding. Onenymph consumed 12 eggs and another 13 eggs and lived 16and 18 days, respectively, without having molted. Six second-instar nymphs refused to feed on eggs of Lema trilineata and allwere dead after five days. Four second-instar nymphs fedslightly on eggs of Leptinotarsa decemlineata from potato, threedying in molt after six days, and one individual completingdevelopment and emerging as an adult after 18 days of feedingon eggs. In another set nine second-instar nymphs fed slightlyon eggs of L. decemlineata from Solatium dulcamara, eightnymphs dying after 11 days and the last after 23 days.The rate of development of the predator nymphs appear tocorrespond to the rate of development of the hosts fed upon.The body fluids of host larvae having a short larval period, asdoes Plutella maculipennis, appear to be more nourishingthan larvae of Leptinotarsa decemlineata, having a much longerlarval period. Nymphs reared on larvae of Plutella maculipennis,Crioceris asparagi, Lema trilineata, and Leptinotarsa decem-lineata completed development in that order (Table I).The species.or stages of hosts causing the most rapid develop-ment of the predator nymphs did not produce the greatestnumber of adult predators. However, where the rate ofnymphal development was relatively slow the mortalityoccurring among the nymphs was extremely high in mostcases (Table I).The rate of development and the mortality of the nymphsoccurring in sets reared on plant-conditioned larvae of Lepti-254 B. J. LANDIS Vol. XXXVIITABLE ILength of the four predatory instars and the percent of nymphal mortality of Podisus maculiventris Say, reared in theinsectary on several different host insects and plant-conditioned insects of the same species.HOST INSECT Stage HOST PLANTNo. OFNYMPHSLENGTH OF INSTARSIN DAYSDAYS PERCENT2ND INSTAR OFTO ADULTS MORTALITYLema trilineataCrioceris asparagiLeptinotarsa decemlineatau uPlutella maculipennisLeptinotarsa decemlineata....Epilachna varivestisLeptinotarsa decemlineata....Lema trilineataHyphantria cuneaLeptinotarsa decemlineata.. . .Solatium arboreumAsparagusTomatoPotatoCabbageEggplantBeansSolatium dulcamaraDatura cornucopiaMulberryPotatoSolatium atropurpureum.Solanum carolinense* Sets of nymphs not run at comparable temperature.Larval«uituitaaEggLarvalaNo. 4 INSECT HOSTS OF PODISUS AND PERILLUS 255notarsa decemlineata are apparently affected in some instancesby toxic substances obtained indirectly from the host plants.Nymphs reared on larvae which fed on Solatium carolinensedeveloped more slowly (24 days) and greater numbers died(89.3 percent) than was the case.among sets of nymphs rearedon other plant-conditioned larvae of the same species (Table I).Solanum atropurpureum was extremely toxic to nymphs ofPodisus maculiventris, but was much less so to nymphs ofPerillus bioculatus (Table III). Nymphs of Podisus maculi-ventris developed slowly on larvae reared on Solanum dulcamaraand the nymphal mortality was slightly higher than amongsets of nymphs reared on larvae from potato, tomato, andeggplant.Perillus bioculatus F.The eggs of Leptinotarsa decemlineata constitute a largepart of the food of Perillus bioculatus when these are available.Twenty-one nymphs reared in the insectary consumed anaverage of 231.5 eggs during the four predacious instars(Table II).Eggs of Lema trilineata are fed upon in the field but thesmall size of the eggs and the few individuals to the massmake them of little value in nymphal development. Sevennymphs reared in the insectary on eggs developed more slowlyand the adult bugs were much smaller than comparable nymphsreared on larvae of Lema trilineata. The average number ofeggs consumed during the four predacious instars was 451.7eggs (Table III).Nymphs of Perillus bioculatus developed more rapidly andthere was less mortality when they were reared on larvae ofLenta trilineata or Crioceris asparagi than on larvae of Leptino-tarsa decemlineata (Table IV). On host-conditioned larvae ofLeptinotarsa decemlineata the development of the nymphs wasmost rapid when feeding occurred on larvae reared on Solanumdulcamara, and most prolonged on larvae reared on Solanumcarolinense. As was the case with Podisus maculiventris, thegreatest amount of nymphal mortality of Perillus bioculatusoccurred among nymphs feeding on larvae from Solanumcarolinense.256 B. J. LANDIS Vol. XXXVIITABLE IILength of the four predatory instars of Perillus bioculatus and the number of eggs ofLeptinotarsa decemlineata eaten in the insectaryTOTALNymph Days in 2nd Eggs Days in 3rd Eggs Days in 4th Eggs Days in 5th Eggs' No- Instar E a t e n Instar Eaten Eaten Eaten Days of E g g s Sex ofDevelop- E a t e n PredatormentFemaleMaleuNo. 4 INSECT HOSTS OF PODISUS AND PERILLUS 257TABLE IIILength of the four predatory instars of Perillus bioculatus and the number of eggs ofLenta trilineata eaten in the insectaryNymph Days in Eggs Days in Eggs Days in Eggs Days in EggsNo. 2nd Instar Eaten 3rd Instar Eaten 4th Instar Eaten 5th Instar EatenTOTALDays ofDevelop-mentEggsEaten258 B. J. LANDIS Vol. XXXVIITABLE IVLength of the four predatory instars and the percent of nymphal mortality of Perillus bioculatus Fabr., reared in theinsectary on several different host insects and plant-conditioned insects of the same species.HOST INSECT STAGE HOST PLANT No. OFNYMPHSLENGTH OF INSTARSIN DAYS DAYS2ND INSTARTO ADULTPERCENTOFMORTALITYLeptinotarsa decemlineata.Lema trilineataa uCrioceris asparagi...Lema trilineataDisonycha xanthomelaenaLema trilineataLeptinotarsa decemlineataa u .•Lema trilineataLeptinolarsa decemlineatau uAutographa brassicaeLeptinotarsa decemlineataa au uEggLarvalPotatoDatura stramoniumPhysalis franchetiAsparagusDatura cornucopiaSpinach, beetSolarium arboreumSolatium atropurpureum.Nicotiana affinisDatura stramoniumPotatoTomatoCabbageSolanum dulcamaraEggplant......Solanum carolinense* Sets of nymphs not run at comparable temperature.No. 4 INSECT HOSTS OF PODISUS AND PERILLUS 259SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONSThe rate of development and the amount of mortalityamong sets of nymphs of Podisus maculiventris and Perillusbioculatus reared on several hosts and under comparable con-ditions in the insectary appeared to depend upon the kind offood taken. Insect eggs, when acceptable, were most nourishingand were followed in the order of their value by larvae of hosts,depending upon their metabolic rate. Furthermore, hosts ofthe same species, but reared on different food plants, causedconsiderable variation in the rate of development and therelative mortality of the predator nymphs. Nymphs diedmore rapidly when the rate of development was slow. Itappears that certain substances transmitted from the plantthrough the host to the predator caused large numbers ofnymphs to die, yet in some cases did not affect the rate ofdevelopment of those that survived.

Insect Hosts and Nymphal Development of Podisus Maculiventris Say and Perillus Bioculatus F. (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae)

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Insect Hosts and Nymphal Development of Podisus Maculiventris Say and Perillus Bioculatus F. (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae)

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