Laboratory feeding responses of Euthyrhynchus floridanus and Podisus maculiventris

The feeding responses of the predatory stink bugs Euthyrhynchus floridanus (L.) and Podisus maculiventris Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), as prey were studied in the laboratory. Euthyrhynchus floridanus was 20 to 40% more efficient than P. maculiventris at feeding on M. cribraria adults with or without the soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), as alternative prey. All life stages of both predators preferred to feed on M. cribraria compared with C. includens. Each predator killed an increasingly greater number of prey as prey density increased but predation did not continue to increase when 4 to 5 M. cribraria were present at the same time. The maximum limit in number of prey killed was probably imposed by predator satiation in conjunction with prey defense mechanisms. Our study demonstrated that E. floridanus is a potential biocontrol agent for M. cribraria. However, more testing is necessary to determine the impact of this predator in the field.