Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata· 2026Q2
Tachinid Parasitoids of the Adult Stage of Phytophagous Stink Bugs: A Vacant Niche in Piezodorus guildinii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
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- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
The tachinid fly Trichopoda pictipennis, a natural enemy of stink bugs, can develop on the pest species Piezodorus guildinii, although with reduced performance compared to its preferred host Nezara viridula.
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Key points
- The tachinid fly Trichopoda pictipennis can parasitize and complete its life cycle on the stink bug Piezodorus guildinii.
- Parasitism rates were higher on the preferred host Nezara viridula, especially by younger T. pictipennis females.
- Older T. pictipennis females showed a greater tendency to parasitize P. guildinii than younger females.
- Parasitoid performance and offspring size were reduced when developing on P. guildinii compared to N. viridula.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Piezodorus guildinii and Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are harmful stink bug pest species. Among their natural enemies, parasitoids of two guilds attack them: oophagous and those that parasitise the adult stage. The combined impact of parasitoids of both guilds partly explains the decline in the abundance of several pentatomid species. However, adults of P. guildinii are not commonly parasitised, unlike N. viridula , which is frequently attacked by Trichopoda pictipennis (Diptera: Tachinidae). This suggests a potential vacant niche for this species. Under particular circumstances, a parasitoid may include a non‐preferred species among its potential hosts; selectivity decreases as the life expectancy of a parasitoid decreases, lowering the quality threshold below which hosts are rejected. We evaluated the potential of P. guildinii as a host for T. pictipennis females of different ages. The performance of young parasitoid females (around 2 days old) and old parasitoid females (around 6 days old) using P. guildinii or N. viridula was assessed. A total of 42 P. guildinii adults were parasitised, yielding 25 pupae and 13 adult flies (F1 generation). Parasitism by T. pictipennis was higher on N. viridula than on P. guildinii , particularly for young females, showing significantly greater parasitism and egg deposition on their preferred host. Female age had no consistent effect on parasitism rates within host species, although old females were more likely to parasitise P. guildinii than young females. Overall, T. pictipennis was able to develop on P. guildinii , but performance and offspring size were reduced when compared to the development on N. viridula . These data indicate that T. pictipennis can potentially parasitise P. guildinii and is able to develop on this host, making it of interest for the design of integrated pest management strategies against this pest.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and SystematicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences