Abstract
Cage studies were conducted in the field in order to evaluate the effectiveness of entomophagous arthropods in reducing noctuid pest populations in soybeans. First and second-stage noctuid larvae were distributed randomly on soybean plants and exposed to single predator species and predator complexes for 4 to 9 days. In tests with single species in which densities of adult predators and prey varied, Oxyopes salticus Hentz took 7.4 larvae, Nabis roseipennis Reuter took 6.2 larvae, Geocoris punctipes (Say) consumed up to 3.4 larvae, Pardosa spp. took 3.3 larvae, and Lebia analis Dejean took 1.8 larvae per adult before larvae became too large for the predators to consume. When noctuid larvae at densities of 30 to 180 per cage were exposed to two complexes of predators, the number of prey taken by each complex was positively correlated with prey density. Slopes of regression lines revealed the complexes of predators consumed 0.26 and 0.47 larvae/week for each larva placed on caged plants. This study provides additional evidence that predaceous arthropods are of economic value to soybean growers.
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