Neotropical Entomology (2013) 42, 141-145

J.J. Silva, M.U. Ventura, F.A.C. Silva and A.R. Panizzi (2013)
Population dynamics of Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) on host plants
Neotropical Entomology 42 (2), 141-145
Abstract: The stink bug Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas) has become one of the major pests of corn and wheat in Brasil, mainly after a shift from the conventional tillage system to the no tillage cultivation system. This fact may be due to the simultaneous occurrence of second planting corn with wheat cultivation, and the presence of wild hosts. This study aimed to evaluate the population dynamics of D. melacanthus on wild hosts adjacent to areas cultivated with corn, wheat, and soybean during the season and off-season of soybean cultivation. Weekly surveys were conducted in the region of Londrina, PR, Brasil from the beginning of July 2007 up to the end of June 2008 using the square meter method. Corn (Zea mays), soybean (Glycine max), tropical spiderwort (Commelina benghalensis), hairy indigo (Indigofera hirsuta), crotalaria (Crotalaria pallida), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) were identified as hosts of D. melacanthus. Signal grass was the host in which stink bug adults were found in higher numbers, while nymphs and adults were consistently collected on tropical spiderwort. Although nymphs completed their development on tropical spiderwort seeds, this host was found less suitable than soybean seeds.
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Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Maurício Ursi Ventura, Antônio R. Panizzi

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Dichelops melacanthus	Maize/corn (Zea mays)	Brazil (south)
	Dichelops melacanthus	Soybean (Glycine max)	Brazil (south)
	Dichelops melacanthus	Wheat (Triticum)	Brazil (south)
	Dichelops melacanthus	Urochloa (crop)‎	Brazil (south)