Abstract
Adult southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), performed better when fed on immature fruits (capsules) of sesame, Sesamum indicum L. (Pedaliaceae), than on immature fruits (pods) of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill (Leguminosae). After 40 d of emergence, 67% of adults were alive on sesame; on soybean this value was 25%. Mean longevity was ≈64 d for females and ≈60 d for males on sesame; on soybean longevity was ≈30 d for females and ≈40 d for males. Twice as many egg masses and eggs per female were produced on sesame than on soybean. Adults attained greater fresh weight on sesame, and accumulated >3-fold more lipids on this food than did adults fed on soybean; females stored more lipids than males, particularly when fed on sesame. In consequence, a much greater resistance to starvation was observed in adults previously fed on sesame. In the absence of food, but with water, all adults raised on sesame as nymphs reached day 15; whereas of those previously fed soybean, only 20% of females were alive on, and no males reached, day 15. With no food, longevity was ≈45 d for females and ≈38 d for males raised on sesame as nymphs, but to ≈12 d for females and ≈9 d for males raised on soybean as nymphs. Without food, females tended to live longer than males.
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