Abstract

TARANGO RIVERO, Socorro Héctor; GARCIA BANUELOS, Mónica Liliana  and  CANDIA PLATA, María del Carmen. Feeding effect of five stink bug species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae, Coreidae) on pecan fruits. Agric. Téc. Méx [online]. 2007, vol.33, n.3, pp.241-249. ISSN 0568-2517.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding damage that five different bug species (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae and Coreidae) cause on pecan nuts at different fruit phenological stages. Throughout the technique of including-excluding, stink bugs in pecan shoot terminals were sampled in the field and electrophoretical techniques were used to analyze the content of the digestive track of the bugs in the laboratory. The experiment was carried out from 2000 to 2003 at Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. The species Brochymena sulcata (Van Duzee) did not provoke fruit drop or staining on the pecan kernel. On the contrary, Leptoglossus zonatus, L. clypealis, and Chlorochroa ligata caused nut drop whose intensity was related to nut development phase. During the period from nut filling to shuck opening, L. zonatus and C. ligata caused most of the kernel staining damage, while Euschistus servus showed a slight staining effect during this period. The analysis of the digestive track of B. sulcata, showed isoenzymes closely related to the plant growing points and different from these of nut shuck or kernel. While for L. zonatus isozymes closely resembling kernel isoenzymes were found, and different to these from the shoot tissue. Results indicate that B. sulcata does not feed on nuts, whereas L. zonatus L. clypealis and C. ligata are potential fruit pests during the late development stage of the nut, kernel filling and until harvest maturity. E. servus should not be considered an important pecan pest in Delicias, Chihuahua.

Keywords : Brochymena sulcata (Van); Chlorochroa (Say); Euschistus servus (Say); Leptoglossus clypealis (Heidemann); isoenzymes; pecan nut.