Effects of Temperature on the Development of Podisus nigrispinus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae): Implications for Mass Rearing

Predatory stinkbugs such as Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) have been mass-reared in the laboratory and released for use in integrated pest management programs. However, the rearing of this natural enemy may not coincide with pest outbreaks in the field, which indicates the need for techniques to manipulate the life cycle of the predator. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different temperatures on the development and other biological characteristics of the stinkbug predator P. nigrispinus. Six temperatures were used (13, 17, 21, 25, 29, and 33 °C ± 0.2 °C), and the following parameters were evaluated: duration of egg and nymphal stages; survival rate of the nymphal stages and newly emerged adults; adult longevity; number of eggs per female; pre-oviposition, oviposition, and post-oviposition periods; and adult weight. At 4 temperatures it was possible to obtain survival at all nymphal stages. Longer adult longevity, pre-oviposition, oviposition, and post-oviposition periods were obtained at 17 °C. However, the number of eggs, weight, and size were negatively affected by this cooler temperature. Temperatures of 21 and 25 °C were the most appropriate for the development of the predator; however, the temperatures 17 and 29 °C allowed delay or acceleration of the predator's life cycle, thereby facilitating release of the predators when they are needed in the field for biological suppression of pests.