Abstract
Abstract: Pentatomidae comprises a diverse group of stink bugs widely distributed in the Neotropical region. Many species are phytophagous and cause injuries to plants, and can thus be defined as agricultural pests. In this study, the anatomy of the female and male reproductive tracts of three important agricultural pests in Colombia is described: Piezodorus guildinii Westwood, 1837 and Chinavia ubicaRolston 1983, found on soybeans, and Oebalus insularis Stål, 1872, found in rice crops. For that, light microscopy techniques were used. The anatomy of the reproductive tract of sexually mature males of the three species studied consisted of a pair of testes, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory bulb, an ejaculatory duct that opens into an aedeagus, and paired accessory glands. The reproductive tract of females consisted of a pair of ovaries, each with seven telotrophic-meroistic ovarioles, a pair of lateral oviducts, common oviduct, spermatheca, and a genital chamber. Telotrophic ovarioles were comprised of terminal filament, tropharium, vitellarium, and pedicel. Differences in size, color, and position of structures along the reproductive tract were observed between the species examined. Reproductive biology of insects provides informative characters for behavioral and evolutionary studies, as well as useful data for pest control strategies.
Highlights
Stink bugs (Pentatomidae) comprise the fourth largest Heteroptera family, with approximately 4,700 species described (Grazia et al 2015)
Ten individuals of each sex of the following species were actively collected with the aid of entomological nets from crops located in the municipality of Armero-Guayabal, Tolima, Colombia (5°09’72”N 74°54’19”O): Oebalus insularis Stål, 1872 on rice, Chinavia ubica Rolston, 1983 and Piezodorus guildinii Westwood, 1837 on soybeans (Fig. 1)
The male reproductive tract of the three studied species consists of a pair of testes, a pair of vas deferens, a pair of ectodermal sacs, a complex ejaculatory bulb, accessory glands, and ejaculatory duct (Figures 2a, 3a, 4a)
Summary
Stink bugs (Pentatomidae) comprise the fourth largest Heteroptera family, with approximately 4,700 species described (Grazia et al 2015). In the Neotropical region, pentatomids are one of the major insect groups that cause damage to different crops (McPherson & MacPherson 2000, Panizzi et al 2000, Smaniotto & Panizzi 2015). In crops such as soybeans and rice, these stink bugs can cause physiological changes in plants, affecting their development, flowering, fruiting, and crop performance and grain and seed quality (McPherson & McPherson 2000, Panizzi et al 2000, Karban & Agrawal 2002, Possebom et al 2020)
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