Suitability of Selected Plants to the Bean Plataspid,Megacopta cribriaria(Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in No-Choice Tests

Abstract

Bean plataspid, Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), was first reported in northeastern Georgia in the fall of 2009 (Eger et al. 2010), and since then has spread throughout Georgia and into North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi and Florida (Roberts 2011; Suiter et al. 2010a, 2010b; http://www. kudzubug.org/distribution_map.cfm; Medal et al. 2013). This plant-feeding insect is related to the stink bugs (Pentatomidae). Like other pentatomoids, bean plataspids emit a strong defensive odor when disturbed. In its native Asia, one of the M. cribraria’s preferred host is kudzu, Pueraria montana Lour (Merr.) variety lobata (Willd.) (Fabales: Fabaceae). Megacopta cribraria is also an agricultural pest of soybean, Glycine max Merrill, and other legume plants and various fruit trees (Li et al. 2001; Wang et al. 2004; Eger et al. 2010). In the infested areas of the U.S.A., M. cribraria is commonly found feeding on the invasive kudzu plant (Ruberson et al. 2012; Zhang et al. 2012). Additionally, it was reported feeding on caged fig trees, Ficus carica L., in a study in Auburn, Alabama (Hu & Carroll 2012). The host range of M. cribraria will probably continue to expand as the insect disperses long distances, mainly by transportation routes into the northeastern and western USA. This new non-native invader may have the potential to cause large crop losses (USDAAPHIS 2010). Adult Megacopta cribraria collected in May of 2012 in Alachua County, Florida, (N: 29.639686° W: -82.399092°) were brought to the laboratory of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry in Gainesville for host-specificity tests with sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck; Sapindales: Rutaceae) seedlings and 11 legume plant species (Fabaceae) commonly found in Florida (Table 1). Host-specificity studies were conducted in a greenhouse during Jul-Oct 2012. A completely randomized design with 5 replications was used. Treatments consisted of single potted plants (30-40 cm height) in vegetative stage in Plexiglas cages. Three pairs of field-collected M. cribraria adults were placed into each cage. Cages were made of clear plastic Plexiglass cylinders (15 cm diam, 50-60 cm height). Mesh screening covered the top and 6 holes each 5 cm diam located in pairs at the bottom, middle, and upper parts of the cylinder to allow for air circulation. Test plants were grown from seeds in 3.8 L pots with a mixture of 2 parts