IMMATURE STAGES AND BIOLOGY OF PODISUS PLACIDUS AND STIRETRUS FIMBRIATUS (HEMIPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE)

Abstract

The egg and five nymphal instars of Podisus placidus Uhler and Stiretrus fimbriatus (Say) are described and illustrated. The nymphal instars can be separated on the basis of head width or pronotal width. No overlap was encountered in the nymphal instars studied.P. placidus overwinters as an adult. Egg development in the laboratory took approximately 6.0 days. The average time spent in each of the five nymphal stages was 5.4, 4.6, 4.9, 4.7, and 7.6 days, respectively. Development of S. fimbriatus eggs took approximately 9.5 days. The average time spent in each of the five nymphal instars was 5.1, 4.3, 4.1, 4.3, and 8.2 days, respectively. Adults of S. fimbriatus were parasitized by Cylindromyia fumipennis (Bigot) (Tachinidae).