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BIONOMICS OF THE DAMSEL BUG, NABIS AMERICOFERUS CARAYON (HEMIPTERA: NABIDAE), A PREDATOR OF THE ALFALFA BLOTCH LEAFMINER (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

J.C. Guppy
J.C. Guppy
Affiliation:
Ottawa Research Station, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6
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Abstract

The damsel bug, Nobis americoferus Carayon, develops through two generations a year in eastern Ontario. In early fall, females of the second generation develop a reproductive diapause but both sexes continue to feed until freeze-up. Post-diapause development begins in late March. Eggs are deposited singly in plant stems but several may be laid in close proximity. In alfalfa, most eggs were found where stem diameter measured from 0.8 to 1.9 mm but height of oviposition site was not related to length of stem. Females reared at 23°C laid an average of 157 eggs during a 3-week oviposition period. The immature stages of the first generation occurred from mid-April to mid-July and those of the second generation from mid-July to early September. The duration of each stage of N. americoferus, fed pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harr.), and held at four constant temperatures, 18, 23, 28, and 31°C, decreased with increasing temperature. There was a highly correlated linear relationship between rate of development and temperature for all stages. The theoretical temperature threshold for development of eggs was 11.1°C and that for the nymphal stage was 10.6°C; degree-day requirements for these stages were 123.5 and 370.4, respectively. Developmental rate of nymphs varied with host as well as temperature; nymphs fed larvae of the alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rondani), developed significantly faster than those fed pea aphid.

Résumé

La nabidé Nabis americoferus Carayon produit deux générations par année dans l’est de l’Ontario. Au début de l’automne, les femelles de seconde génération entrent en diapause reproductive bien que les deux sexes continuent à se nourrir jusqu’aux gelées définitives. La croissance post-diapause commence en fin de mars. Les oeufs sont déposés isolément dans les tiges des plantes et aussi à proximité immédiate. Sur la luzerne, la plupart des oeufs ont été observés sur les tiges de 0,8 à 1,9 mm de diamètre, mais la hauteur du site de ponte n’était par reliée à la longueur de la tige. Les femelles élevées à la température de 23°C pondaient en moyenne 157 oeufs sur une période de ponte de 3 semaines. Les stades immatures de la première génération s’observent de la mi-avril à la mi-juillet et ceux de la deuxième de la mi-juillet au début de septembre. La durée de chaque stade de N. americoferus, nourri de pucerons du pois Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harr.) et gardé à quatre températures constantes, 18, 23, 28 et 31°C, diminue avec l’élévation de la température. On a observé une forte corrélation linéaire entre le rythme de développement et la température et cela à tous les stades. Le seuil théorique de température pour le développement des oeufs a été établi à 11,1°C et celui du stade nymphal à 10,6°C. Les besoins en degrés-jours de ces stades étaient respectivement de 123,5 et 370,4. Le rythme de développement des nymphes varie également selon l’hôte : les nymphes nourries de larves de l’agromyze de la luzerne Agromyza frontella (Rondani) se développaient significativement plus vite que celles nourries de puceron du pois.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 118 , Issue 8 , August 1986 , pp. 745 - 751
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1986

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