Prey and life cycle of Dindymus pulcher (Stal), a snail-eating pyrrhocorid bug from the Philippines

Issue Date

7-2000

Abstract

The feeding behavior of Dindymus pulcher Stal, a pyrrhocorid bug endemic to the Philippines, was studied in the field and the laboratory. While most pyrrhocorids feed primarily on seeds, D. pulcher was found to be a predator that forages on the ground, tree trunks, and vegetation in the rain forests.

Of 118 prey records from the field, 37% were snails, an unusual prey for a predatory insect. Insects accounted for 56% of the recorded prey, with Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera being especially strongly represented. Minor prey included leeches, woodlice, insect pupae and eggs of golden apple snails, spiders, and insects. Its life cycle was determined from laboratory rearing, and all life stages were described. Maturity was reached after 5-6 nymphal instars, 1-2 months after hatching.

Adults of both sexes and nymphs of all instars readily fed on a variety of rice pests: golden apple snail (GAS), Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck); brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stal); green leafhopper (GLH), Nephotettix spp.; larvae of striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis (Walker); green hairy caterpillar (GHC), Rivula nr. atimeta Swinhoe; green semilooper (GSL), Naranga aenescens (Moore); rice leaffolders (RLF), Marasmia sp. and Cnaphalocrocis sp.; and legume leafroller (LLR), Hedylepta indicata (Fabricius) in laboratory trials.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The (Formerly: The Philippine Agriculturist)

ISSN

0031-7454

Volume

83

Issue

3

Page

292-304

Document Type

Article

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Frequency

quarterly

Physical Description

illustrations ; graphs ; tables ; references

Language

English

Subject

Dindymus pulcher, Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Pyrrhocoridae, malacophagy, predation, rice and legume pests

En – AGROVOC descriptors

PYRRHOCORIDAE; HEMIPTERA; HETEROPTERA; ENDEMIC SPECIES; FEEDING HABITS; PREDATION; LIFE CYCLE; ARTHROPODA; COLEOPTERA; LEPIDOPTERA

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