Performance of Southern Green Stink Bug (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Nymphs and Adults on a Novel Food Plant (Japanese Privet) and Other Hosts

Japanese privet, Ligustrum japonicum Thunb. (Oleaceae), was found to be a novel food plant of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), in the state of Paraná, Brazil. In the laboratory, nymphs performed better when fed on immature fruits of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill (Leguminosae), than on immature fruits of Japanese privet. Female and male nymphs required 6.7 and 4.6 d more to complete development on Japanese privet than on soybean, and had greater mortality on the former (38.7%) than on the latter (20.0%) food plant. At emergence, adult fresh body weight was ≈31-40% greater on soybean than on Japanese privet. In contrast, adult N. viridula performed better on Japanese privet than on soybean; 62.5% of females oviposited on the 1st and 45.0% on the 2nd food. Fecundity was 2-3 times greater on Japanese privet [alone or supplemented with dried soybean seeds + shelled peanuts, Arachis hypogaea (L.) (Leguminosae)] than on soybean fruits or on vegetative soybean plants or water cress, Nasturtium officinale L. (Brassicaceae), leaves. These. 2 last foods were supplemented with dried soybean seeds + peanuts. The amount of fresh body weight gain up to the 4th wk of adult life was ≈3 times greater on Japanese privet fruits than on soybean fruits. Total longevity was similar for females and males on Japanese privet or soybean fruits, but it was greater on Japanese privet + soybean seeds + peanuts than on water cress + soybean seeds + peanuts. These results indicate that N. viridula has expanded its host range to Japanese privet in Brazil, and that the berries of this plant are suitable food particularly for adults.