Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Biological Control of Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #110451

Title: EFFECT OF AN ARTIFICIAL DIET ON THE REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREDACIOUS SPINED SOLDIER BUG, PODISUS MAULIVENTRIS (SAY) (HETEROPTERA: PENTAOMIDAE)

Author
item Coudron, Thomas
item WITTMEYER, JENNIFER - UNIV OF MISSOURI
item Adams, Terrance
item Brandt, Sandra

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting North Central Branch
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effects of a meat-based artificial diet on the reproductive development of Podisus maculiventris females were determined including: comparison of prey-fed and diet-fed individuals; the ability to recover the reproductive capacity of diet-fed individuals by feeding on natural prey as adults; and the effect of the artificial diet on vitellogenin, the precursor of the egg gprotein, vitellin. Results showed that artificial diet provided at either the nymphal stage or adult stage of development slowed ovarian maturation and markedly reduced fecundity. Partial improvement of ovarian maturation rates and fecundity was obtained when artificial diet-fed individuals were recovered on natural prey as adults. Feeding the artificial diet to adults, that were reared as nymphs on larval prey, reduced both ovarian maturation rate and fecundity. The quantity of vitellogenin and vitellin in hemolymph and egg tissues (respectively) in adults was greater in prey- fed than in artificial diet-fed individuals. Therefore, monitoring the levels of vitellogenin may provide a rapid diagnosis of the quality of diets.