Predation behavior of Podisus nigrispinus on Spodoptera eridania

• Published in: Journal of Asia-Pacific entomology Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 1279 - 1282
• Main Authors: Romário de Carvalho, José, Pratissoli, Dirceu, Moreira de Araujo Junior, Luis, Pacheco Damascena, Alixelhe, Mathias Holtz, Anderson, Pin Dalvi, Leandro, Rodrigues Vianna, Ulysses
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.12.2020; 한국응용곤충학회
• Subjects: bioassays; Biological control; death; duration; entomology; head; insect larvae; mortality; Podisus nigrispinus; predation; Predation time; Predator; predators; Prey escape; Spodoptera eridania; thorax; 농학; Predator; Prey escape; Biological control; Predation time
• ISSN: 1226-8615; 1876-7990; 1876-7790
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aspen.2020.10.007

[Display omitted] •The predation success is affected by the prey body region where the attack occurs.•The Podisus nigrispinus prefers to attack the anterior region of caterpillars.•The P. nigrispinus predation time affects the prey death after escape.•The predation can be lethal for caterpillars that have escaped from the predator. The behavior and effective predation time can affect the prey death in pest biological control programs. This work studied the Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas, 1851) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) behavior on Spodoptera eridania (Cramer, 1782) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) caterpillars, and its implications in case of prey escape. The preference bioassay (B1) aimed to verify the caterpillars body region (anterior: head and thorax; median and posterior) preferred by the predator and its implication in prey mortality. The predation duration bioassay considered the following effective predation times: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 min; the caterpillars were removed after each predation time, to simulate prey escape, and the dead were counted until the seventh day. This experiment was performed in two ways: with randomly selected and not repeated predators (B2); and with the same predators in successive times (B3). The predator preferred to attack the caterpillars anterior region. The caterpillars mortality increased with increasing effective predation time. The mortality was 90% after 64 min under B2. This value was estimated for 16 min under B3. The P. nigrispinus prefers to attack the caterpillars anterior region and mortality of S. eridania caterpillars was favored in predators that have suffered predation interruption.