EFFECTS OF DIET ON LONGEVITY AND FECUNDITY OF THE SPINED STILT BUG, JALYSUS-WICKHAMI

We evaluated the suitability of selected food items for the adult spin ed stilt bug, Jalysus wickhami Van Duzee (Hemiptera: Berytidae), by pr oviding one of seven diet treatments: (1) prepupae of the parasitoid, Cotesia congregata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on a leaf of tobac co (Nicotiana tabacum L., 'NC 2326') (Solanaceae); (2) C. congregata p repupae alone (i.e., no tobacco leaf); (3) eggs of the parasitoid's ho st, Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), on a tobacco leaf; ( 4) M. sexta eggs alone; (5) tobacco aphids, Myzus nicotianae Blackman (Homoptera: Aphididae), on a tobacco leaf; (6) a tobacco leaf alone; a nd (7) no prey and no tobacco. A tobacco leaf was necessary for the lo ng-term survival of stilt bugs, but prey source did not affect longevi ty. Regardless of the prey type, stilt bugs with access to a tobacco l eaf lived 21-23 days, while stilt bugs without access to tobacco lived less than 12 days. Animal prey provided a protein source required for egg deposition in J. wickhami, and prey species differed in their rel ative nutritive values. Female stilt bugs that fed on M. sexta eggs or on C. congregata prepupae were significantly more fecund (102 and 106 nymphs per female, respectively) than females that fed on tobacco aph ids (24 nymphs per female). Results suggest that stilt bugs may feed o n tobacco aphids and C. congregata prepupae when other prey are unavai lable.