PODISUS NIGRISPINUS (DALLAS) AND PODISUS SAGITTA (FABRICIUS) (HETEROPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE): CORRECTION OF A MISIDENTIFICATION

De Clercq and Degheele (1990, 1992) described the morphology and bionomics of a predatory stink bug under the name of Podisus sagitta (Fabricius). The studies were based on a culture started from specimens originating from Surinam. Workers from the Agricultural University of Wageningen, The Netherlands, who provided us with the specimens, referred to the species by the name “Podisus sagittus (L.)”(Adidharma 1986), which we corrected to P. sagitta (Fabricius), the name mentioned by Van Duzee (1916). Subsequent to our studies, Thomas (1992) published an illustrated key to the New World species belonging to the pentatomid subfamily Asopinae, which, for the first time, enabled accurate identification of species.

DEVELOPMENT AND SURVIVAL OF PODISUS MACULIVENTRIS (SAY) AND PODISUS SAGITTA (FAB.) (HETEROPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE) AT VARIOUS CONSTANT TEMPERATURES

Development and survival of the predatory pentatomids Podisus maculiventris (Say) and Podisus sagitta (Fab.) were studied at six constant temperatures ranging from 19 to 35 °C. Time required for development from egg to adult ranged from 48.9 days (19 °C) to 18.9 days (30 °C) for P. maculiventris and from 51.9 days (19 °C) to 16.9 days (33 °C) for P. sagitta. At 33 °C, eggs of P. maculiventris did not hatch and development of nymphs that had emerged at 23 °C was retarded; none of the first-instar nymphs incubated at 35 °C survived the next moult. A constant temperature of 35 °C was fatal to P. sagitta eggs and extended the developmental period of nymphs from 23 °C. Egg hatch ranged from 47% (19 °C) to 57% (27 °C) for P. maculiventris and from 54% (33 °C) to 71% (27 °C) for P. sagitta. Nymphal survival was high at moderate temperatures, with 63–78% and 65–82% of the first-instar nymphs of the respective species reaching adulthood. Mortality during the nymphal stage was significantly increased at high temperatures, but was considerably lower for P. sagitta than for P. maculiventris. Lower threshold temperatures for egg and nymphal development were estimated to be 10.7 and 11.7 °C for P. maculiventris, and 13.3 and 12.2 °C for P. sagitta. Thermal requirements for these stages were 78.2 and 275.5 degree-days, and 60.9 and 265.5 degree-days, respectively. These observations suggest that P. sagitta is somewhat better adapted to high temperatures than is P. maculiventris.

DESCRIPTION AND LIFE HISTORY OF THE PREDATORY BUG PODISUS SAGITTA (FAB.) (HEMIPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE)

Podisus sagitta (Fab.) is a small- to medium-sized predatory stink bug, which is distributed from the southern United States into South America. The immature stages and both sexes of the adult insect from a laboratory strain are described and illustrated. Notes on the life history of P. sagitta also are given.