Dysdercus maurus Distant, 1901 (Hemiptera, Pyrrhocoridae) is an important pest on Gossypium spp. (cotton tree), Citrus sinensis Osbeck (Rutaceae) and Citrus reticulata Blanco (Rutaceae) crops. This insect also feeds on seeds of Chorisia speciosa St. Hil. (Bombacaceae). This work aimed to evaluate the effects of temperature and food on the development of D. maurus. Eight treatments were carried out, in six of them bugs were fed with seeds of C. speciosa and kept at 15, 18, 20, 25 and 30 ± 1ºC, 80 ± 3% RH and 12h photophase or in laboratory conditions (23.5 ± 2.6ºC, 73.3 ± 9.9 % RH), and in the other two treatments bugs were fed with seeds of cotton variety IAC-22 and kept at 25 or 30ºC. In all treatments five immature stages were observed. The increase of temperature caused reduction in the developmental time. The temperature of 15ºC disabled nymphal eclosion and was also lethal to those nymphs ecloded at other temperatures. The lower mortality of nymphs occurred in the temperature of 25ºC with cotton as food (24.07%). The lower threshold temperature (Tb) occurred for the 1st instar (11.54ºC) and the higher for the 2nd instar (15.33ºC). The females of D. maurus required more degree-days (329.93 degree-days) than males (300.49 degree-days) until adult emergence.
Chorisia speciosa; thermal requirements; threshold temperature
