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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #287074
Title: Ecology of the spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris: an important generalist predator of invasive insect pests

Author
item Legaspi, Jesusa

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/26/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a generalist predator known to feed on over 75 insect species, several of which are important invasive insect pests. A substantial body of knowledge from our research studies on the ecology of this predator will be presented. We studied this predator’s basic life history, development, reproduction, predation, gross physiology, population dynamics, and distribution and spread through climatic modeling. Very little work has been done on ovigeny (process of egg production and development in adult insects) in insect predators. “Pro-ovigenic” adult insects emerge with a fixed complement of mature eggs; whereas, “synovigenic” species continuously produce and develop eggs throughout adulthood. Our research on ovigeny of P. maculiventris is one of the first studies on predators. We documented that P. maculiventris are synovigenic . The results of our research will aid in developing integrated and sustainable pest management strategies against major insect pests in different cropping and ecological systems.