Effect of Trichopoda pennipes parasitization on Nezara viridula

Abstract

Trichopoda pennipes parasitization had a strong negative effect on Nezara viridula adult longevity, fecundity and feeding. A parasitized female lived half the time of an unparasitized one and for a parasitized male this reduction in longevity was even greater. Unparasitized females laid four times more eggs than parasitized one. Parasitization had no significant effect on egg fertility. Feeding intensity by N. viridula is reflected by the number of punctured soybean seeds. Caged plants exposed to unparasitized adults produced only one half as many unpunctured seeds compared to cages with parasitized adults. The percentage of normal seeds (with commercial value) was 31.1% higher in cages with parasitized adults.