Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society (1998) 33, 75-82
Peter W. Shearer and Vincent P. Jones (1998)
Suitability of selected weeds and ground covers as host plants of Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 33, 75-82
Abstract: The suitability of 4 plant species as hosts of Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in macadamia orchards was investigated in the laboratory. No nymphs survived to adult when given fleshy stems of Commelina diffusa and no eggs were laid when adults were given C. diffusa. Ricinus communis was a good host plant for nymphs, but adult N. viridula fecundity was less than that of adults fed Desmodium tortuosum or a standard diet of green bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, and peanut, Arachis hypogaea. Survival of nymphs and adult reproduction was high when fed D. tortuosum, indicating it is a suitable host plant for N. viridula in Hawai'i. Assays of Desmodium ovalifolium, a legume being investigated for orchard ground cover use in Hawai'i, indicate that it is not a suitable host plant even though all life stages of N. viridula have been observed on this plant in the field. Results of this study suggest that ground cover management is a desirable strategy to reduce N. viridula damage to macadamia nuts.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Vincent P. Jones, Peter W. Shearer
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
