Oviposition and Sex Ratio of the Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorous guildinii, in Soybean.
Redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), is a significant soybean pest across the mid-south region of the United States. The objectives of these studies were to characterize: (1) redbanded stink bug oviposition in relationship to soybean maturity group (MG), plant structure, crop phenology, and vertical distribution within the plant canopy; and (2) redbanded stink bug adult sex ratios in relationship to soybean phenology. A total of 5645 redbanded stink bug eggs in 421 egg masses (clusters) were field collected from naturally-occurring populations in MG IV and V soybean over a three year period (2009 to 2011). The mean number of eggs within a cluster was 16.6 ± 0.3. Plant structures by MG interactions were highly significant with more egg masses oviposited on leaves in MG IV (79.4%) and more on pods in MG V (72.7%). The ratio of females to males was similar in all soybean growth stages except R5, where the sex ratio increased to 1.4:1, coinciding with peak oviposition. Only 29.9% of egg clusters in MG IV and 18.3% of egg clusters in MG V were oviposited in the upper 35 cm of the soybean canopy. Based on these results, sampling strategies and insecticide application placement for stink bugs may require modification.
DuPont Crop Protection, Bradenton Field Station, 3301 51st St. East, Bradenton, FL 34208, USA. joshua.h.temple@dupont.com.
Joshua H
JH
Temple
Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 404 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. jeffdavis@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Jeffrey A
JA
Davis
Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, 2900 Hwy. 130 E., Stuttgart, AR 72160, USA. jhardke@uaex.edu.
Jarrod T
JT
Hardke
Macon Ridge Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 212A Macon Ridge Rd., Winnsboro, LA 71295, USA. pprice@agcenter.lsu.edu.
Paul P
PP
Price
LAES Administration, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 104 J. N. Efferson Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. rleonard@agcenter.lsu.edu.
B Rogers
BR
Leonard
Hemiptera; Pentatomidae; life history; maturity group; soybean phenology