Direct and Indirect Effect of Bt Cotton and No Bt Cotton on the Development and Reproduction of the Predator <i>Podisus nigrispinus</i> (Dallas, 1851) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract

This paper aimed to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of Bt cotton and no Bt cotton on the development and reproduction of the predator Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas). The experiments related to the direct and indirect effects on immature and adult stages of the predator were conducted, respectively, in greenhouse and laboratory of the Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. To evaluate the indirect effects of Bt cotton and non-Bt, larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) were fed with these plants and later offered to the predator. To evaluate the direct effect of the Bt cotton and non-Bt, the predator P. nigrispinus was kept in contact with these plants and fed with pupae of Tenebrio molitor (L.). The direct and indirect effects were evaluated by the biological parameters as follows: period of nymphal development, nymphal survival, and duration of pre-oviposition and oviposition periods and longevity of adults (females and males) of P. nigrispinus. It was observed higher period of second instar of P. nigrispinus in Bt cotton, when compared to the development in its isoline non-Bt. All other biological parameters evaluated, have no influence of the Bt cotton plants considering the direct and indirect effects.

Potential of Predator Podisus nigrispinus Dallas (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in the Control of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…Food quantity and quality affect parameters such as survival, mass gain, stage duration, egg number and longevity (Zanuncio et al, 2002;Peluzio et al, 2018). Comparing the nymph period found in this study (Table 1), with the means obtained by Vacari et al (2007) using caterpillars of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), by Espíndula et al (2010) using caterpillars of Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and by Santana et al (2017), using caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), despite the variations in the different stages, when considering the nymphal period as a whole, the phase is similar, being 18.60 days for H. armigera (Table 1), 18,20; 19.40; and 19.61 days for D. saccharalis, H. virescens and S. frugiperda, respectively. The similarity in the duration of the nymphal phase indicates the adaptation of this predator to the different prey and also shows that the prey used does not influence the duration of the nymphal phase (Oliveira et al, 2004b).…”

“…The results obtained in this work demonstrate the adaptation of the predator P. nigrispinus to the prey H. armigera. Insects, especially early instars, may require a period of time to adapt to the new diet, which may interfere with their development and survival (Santana et al, 2017). For the biological aspects evaluated, H. armigera proved to be suitable prey for the immature phase of P. nigrispinus with results similar to those obtained with the alternative host T. molitor, usually employed in mass breeding of this predator.…”

Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae) fed on transgenic maize can transfer Bt proteins to Podisus nigrispinus (Pentatomidae)

“…Agric. v.79, n.4, e20210044, 2022 and fertility (Carvalho et al, 2012), nymph survival, duration of pre-oviposition, oviposition, and adult longevity (Santana et al, 2017). On the other hand, the oviposition period and the number of eggs per postures of P. nigrispinus change when predating T. molitor larvae fed on wheat bran containing different B. thuringiensis (Agree®) concentrations (Carvalho et al, 2018).…”