Feeding activity, salivary amylase activity, and superficial damage to soybean seed by adult Edessa meditabunda (F.) and Euschistus heros (F.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Greenhouse and laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate feeding activity and superficial damage to soybean seed by the brown-winged stink bug, Edessa meditabunda (F.), and the Neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (F.). Soybean plants (cv. BRS 282), at R6 stage of development were used. Thirty pairs of each species were used individually for 48 h. Two daily observations (9:00 AM and 3:00 PM) were taken to record the number of bugs (feeding/resting) on plant parts. Harvested seeds imbibed in tetrazolium solution were photographed for measurement of the damaged surface. Adult E. meditabunda significantly preferred soybean stems (19.7 bugs) to pods (2.7). Feeding/resting was similar at 9:00 AM (mean number of 28.0 bugs) and 3:00 PM (24.3). Euschistus heros equally fed/stayed on stems (7.3 bugs) and pods (6.9), although most bugs (12.3) remained on the cage net; feeding/resting on all plant structures amounted to 13.7 bugs at 9:00 AM and 17.7 bugs at 3:00 PM. Amylase activity was greater for E. heros (41.61 ± 0.89 U/mg) and almost none for E. meditabunda (2.35 ± 0.14 U/mg). The superficial damage to seeds was significantly greater for E. meditabunda (22. 9 mm(2)) compared to E. heros (12.5 mm(2)). However, E. meditabunda caused less shrinkage of the seed tegument, while E. heros damage was deeper and seeds showed reduction in size.

Duration of feeding and superficial and in-depth damage to soybean seed by selected species of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae).

Laboratory studies were conducted to compare duration of feeding and superficial and in-depth damage to soybean (Glycine max) seeds by the Southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), the Neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (F.), the red-banded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), and the green-belly stink bug, Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas). Results indicated that feeding time was significantly longer for N. viridula (≈ 133 min) compared to E. heros and D. melacanthus (≈ 70 min), but not different from P. guildinii (≈ 103 min). There was a positive correlation between feeding time and the resulting damage for E. heros, N. viridula and P. guildinii (R² > 0.80, P < 0.0001), but not for D. melacanthus (R² = 0.1011, P = 0.1493). The deepest seed damage (2.0 mm) was made by P. guildinii and the shallowest (0.5 mm) by D. melacanthus. The depth of the seed damage by E. heros and N. viridula (0.8, 1.2 mm, respectively) was intermediate in comparison to the other species studied. Feeding damage to the seed endosperm caused variable cell disruption and protein body dissolution, particularly when P. guildinii fed on seeds, suggesting that the deleterious action of salivary enzymes was greater for this bug compared to the others.