Laboratory study reveals viable development of Trichopoda pictipennis in Piezodorus guildinii, indicating potential utility in biological pest control.
Key Points
To assess whether the tachinid parasitoid fly Trichopoda pictipennis can accept and develop within the stink bug Piezodorus guildinii, and to examine how parasitoid female age affects host selection.
Exposed adult Piezodorus guildinii and Nezara viridula to young (~2 days old) and old (~6 days old) Trichopoda pictipennis females.
Quantified host parasitism rates, egg deposition counts, pupal emergence, and adult F1 fly survival across treatment groups.
Parasitism and egg deposition rates were significantly higher on N. viridula than on P. guildinii, with young females showing strong preference for N. viridula.
A total of 42 P. guildinii adults were parasitized, resulting in 25 pupae and 13 surviving adult F1 generation flies, although offspring size and performance were lower than in N. viridula.
Parasitoid age demonstrated no consistent within-species effect on overall parasitism rates, though older females attacked P. guildinii more frequently than younger females.