Nymphs of the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (L.) were reared in the laboratory using two different artificial dry diets: 1=standard diet [soybean protein(15g); potato starch (7.5 g); dextrose (7.5 g); sucrose (2.5 g); cellulose (12.5 g); wheat germ (17.9 gr.); vitamins (niacin 1 g, calcium pantothenate 1 g, thiamin 0.25 g, riboflavin 0.5 g, pyridoxin 0.25 g, folic acid 0.25 g, biotin 0.02 ml, vitamin B12 5.0 ml; soybean oil(20 ml); and water (30 ml)]. 2=diet 1 plus ascorbic acid (0.3 gr). The diets were compared to soybean pods (immature). Nymph developmental time was 31.9 days on diet 1, and 32.6 days on diet 2. On soybean pods this value was 21.3 days. Nymph mortality was 70% on diet 1, and 63% on diet 2. On soybean pods mortality was 36.7%. Percentage of female oviposition was 85.7% on diet 2 and 90.9 on soybean pods. No females oviposited when reared on diet 1. These results indicate that adding ascorbic acid to the diet, improved the reproductive performance of the bugs.
Species 1: Heteroptera Pentatomidae Nezara viridula (southern green stink bug, green vegetable bug)
Keywords: insect rearing, biology
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