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Stink bugs on soybean in northeastern Brazil and a new record on the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Percevejos em soja no nordeste brasileiro e um novo registro do percevejo verde, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstracts

During March-April 2001, a survey of pentatomids associated with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] was conducted at northeastern Brazil (Balsas County – Maranhão State - latitude 7°31'S, longitude 46°02'W). The majority of the phytophagous bugs (82.4%) belonged to the species Euschistus heros (F.). Other six species of bugs were collected in much lower numbers (<5.0%). Among them, the exotic species, Nezara viridula (L.), was intercepted in this area for the first time, expanding its distribution in the Neotropical Region.

Insecta; Glycine max; Neotropical Region


Durante os meses de março e abril de 2001, conduziram-se levantamentos da população de percevejos pentatomídeos em soja [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] no Nordeste brasileiro (Balsas – Maranhão – latitude 7°31'S e longitude 46°02'W). A maioria (82,4%) dos percevejos fitófagos coletados foi da espécie Euschistus heros (F.). Outras seis espécies de percevejos foram coletadas em número menor (<5,0%). Dentre elas, coletou-se pela primeira vez na região a espécie exótica, Nezara viridula (L.), caracterizando um novo registro e ampliando a sua distribuição na Região Neotropical.

Insecta; Glycine max; Região Neotropical


SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Stink Bugs on Soybean in Northeastern Brazil and a New Record on the Southern Green Stink Bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

ANTÔNIO R. PANIZZI

Embrapa, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Soja, C. postal 231, 86001-970, Londrina, PR

Percevejos em Soja no Nordeste Brasileiro e um Novo Registro do Percevejo Verde, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

RESUMO – Durante os meses de março e abril de 2001, conduziram-se levantamentos da população de percevejos pentatomídeos em soja [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] no Nordeste brasileiro (Balsas – Maranhão – latitude 7°31'S e longitude 46°02'W). A maioria (82,4%) dos percevejos fitófagos coletados foi da espécie Euschistus heros (F.). Outras seis espécies de percevejos foram coletadas em número menor (<5,0%). Dentre elas, coletou-se pela primeira vez na região a espécie exótica, Nezara viridula (L.), caracterizando um novo registro e ampliando a sua distribuição na Região Neotropical.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Insecta, Glycine max, Região Neotropical.

ABSTRACT – During March-April 2001, a survey of pentatomids associated with soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] was conducted at northeastern Brazil (Balsas County – Maranhão State - latitude 7°31'S, longitude 46°02'W). The majority of the phytophagous bugs (82.4%) belonged to the species Euschistus heros (F.). Other six species of bugs were collected in much lower numbers (<5.0%). Among them, the exotic species, Nezara viridula (L.), was intercepted in this area for the first time, expanding its distribution in the Neotropical Region.

KEY WORDS: Insecta, Glycine max, Neotropical Region.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is a very important crop in Brazil. It has been expanding since its introduction in the south ca. 40 years ago, to the Central-West regions of the country. Recently, the crop has expanded toward the northeast (Hasse 1996). Similar to the other states, in Maranhão this legume increased drammatically in the region of Balsas County (latitude 7°31'S, longitude 46°02'W), with an estimated production of 600,000 ton in the 2000/2001 season (D. Klepker, personal communication).

During March and April 2001, field trips were made in the Balsas area, and stink bugs (Pentatomidae) were collected from soybean. The bugs were captured using a sweep net and by hand-picking. Insects were put in killing jars, sorted and pined in the laboratory of the Embrapa Unit in Balsas. The bugs were taken to Londrina, in Paraná state, and deposited in the Insect Collection of the National Soybean Research Center of Embrapa.

Of the total of 108 specimens of bugs collected, seven species were identified. By far, the most abundant species was the neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (F.), comprising 82.4% (89) of the total. The other species were: Thyanta perditor (F.) 4.6% (5); Acrosternum impicticorne (Stal) 3.7% (4); A. ubicum Rolston 0.9% (1); Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) 3.7% (4); Nezara viridula (L.) 3.7% (4); and Edessa meditabunda (F.) 0.9% (1).

Of all species collected the only exotic one, native from the Ethiopian Region (Hokkanen 1986), is the southern green stink bug, N. viridula. This bug has a worldwide distribution (DeWitt & Godfrey 1972, Todd & Herzog 1980, Todd 1989). Of the previous records on its geographical distribution in the Neotropical Region, the area where the bug was intercepted (Maranhão State) is not included. Therefore, with this new record, its distributional range is expanded. Apparently, because soybean is a preferred host plant of N. viridula, the bug is following the expansion of the crop to new areas. Despite being more adapted to the cooler areas of southern Brazil (Panizzi & Corrêa-Ferreira 1997), N. viridula is expanding its distribution to more tropical regions. However, the data show that the native brown stink bug, E. heros, once rare on soybean (Panizzi et al. 1977), among the different species, is the most adapted one to this new region.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Dirceu Klepker for help with insect collecting, Jocélia Grazia and José A. M. Fernandes for the identification of the Acrosternum species, and Norman Neumaier and Flávio Moscardi for revising an early draft of this note. This note was approved for publication by the Editorial Board of Embrapa Soja as manuscript number 14/2001.

Literature Cited

Received 13/08/01. Accepted 02/02/02.

  • DeWitt, N.B. & G.L. Godfrey. 1972. The literature of arthropods associated with soybeans. II. A bibliography of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (Linneaus) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Illinois Nat. Hist. Surv. Biol. Notes 78: 1-23.
  • Hasse, G. 1996. O Brasil da soja - abrindo fronteiras semeando cidades. Porto Alegre, RS, L& PM Eds., 256 p.
  • Hokkanen, H. 1986. Polymorphism, parasites, and the native area of Nezara viridula (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae). Ann. Entomol. Fen. 52: 28-31.
  • Panizzi, A.R. & B.S. Corrêa-Ferreira. 1997. Dynamics in the insect fauna adaptation to soybean in the tropics. Trends Entomol. 1: 71-88.
  • Panizzi, A.R., B.S. Corrêa, D.L. Gazzoni, E.B. Oliveira, G.G. Newman & S.G. Turnipseed. 1977. Insetos da soja no Brasil. Embrapa, Bol. Téc. 1: 1-20.
  • Todd, J. W. 1989. Ecology and behavior of Nezara viridula Annu. Rev. Entomol. 34: 273-292.
  • Todd, J. W. & D. C. Herzog. 1980. Sampling phytophagous Pentatomidae on soybean, p. 438-478. In M. Kogan & D.C. Herzog (eds.), Sampling methods in soybean entomology. New York, Springer-Verlag, 587p.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    27 Nov 2002
  • Date of issue
    June 2002

History

  • Accepted
    02 Feb 2002
  • Received
    13 Aug 2001
Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil, R. Harry Prochet, 55, 86047-040 Londrina PR Brasil, Tel.: (55 43) 3342 3987 - Londrina - PR - Brazil
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