title: First Evidence of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) Feeding From Mesophyll of Eucalyptus Leaves.
abstract: The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé, 2006 (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) originally restricted to Australia, is an important emerging pest of Eucalyptus plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. It feeds on mature leaves, causing the loss of photosynthetic surface area and defoliation and, according to some studies, even tree death. In this work, feeding activities of T. peregrinus on Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn leaves and its primary food resources were identified. In cross sections of leaves, solid salivary deposits on epidermal cells and in the vicinity of stomata cells were detected. In subepidermal cells of the palisade parenchyma near the stylet penetration point, disorganization and removal of chloroplasts were also observed. The presence of chlorophyll in guts of adults and nymphs was analyzed using spectrophotometry and confocal laser scanning to obtain in situ fluorescent spectra. Both spectra showed chlorophyll absorbance peaks. In addition, the presence of chlorophyll in guts of T. peregrinus using fluorescence microscopy was identified. These results provide the first evidence that T. peregrinus feeds from the palisade parenchyma (chlorenchyma) of Eucalyptus leaves.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Zoología, Departamento de Tecnología and INEDES. Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina ( msantadino@hotmail.com ).|Programa de Ecología Terrestre, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas and INEDES. Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu - CONICET), Argentina ( carlosecoviella@yahoo.com ).
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santadino
authors.affiliation: División Entomología and Cátedra de Morfología Vegetal. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (FCNyM), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Comisión Investigaciones Científicas Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC), La Plata, Argentina (eubrenta@hotmail.com).
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brentassi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal CONICET-Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). Argentina (ddfanello@gmail.com).
authors.forename: Diego D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Fanello
authors.affiliation: Programa de Ecología Terrestre, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas and INEDES. Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu - CONICET), Argentina (carlosecoviella@yahoo.com).
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coviella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000254:growth & development*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D020387:Food Chain; D020062:Heteroptera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009758:Nymph / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development
keywords: : Bronze bug; chlorophyll; feeding behavior; mesophyll; salivary deposit