PREDATION ON THE TOMATO LOOPER CHRYSODEIXIS-CHALCITES (ESPER) (LEP., NOCTUIDAE) BY PODISUS-MACULIVENTRIS (SAY) AND PODISUS-NIGRISPINUS (DALLAS) (HET., PENTATOMIDAE)

Predation by the predatory stinkbugs Podisus maculiventris (Say) and P odisus nigrispinus (Dallas) on the tomato looper Chrysodeixis chalcite s (Esper) was studied under laboratory conditions. Nymphs of both Podi sus spp. readily attacked eggs, larvae of the second, fourth and sixth instar, and pupae of the prey. However, developmental durations of pr edator nymphs were generally shorter on fourth- and sixth-instar cater pillars. Adult females also displayed high predation rates against lar vae and pupae of C. chalcites, but did not feed on eggs. At 23 degrees C, predation rates of P. maculiventris were generally similar to thos e of the smaller-sized P. nigrispinus. Functional responses of adult f emales of P. maculiventris and P. nigrispinus to the density of fifth- instar caterpillars of C. chalcites on sweet pepper plants closely app roximated Holling's type II response. Estimated values for attack rate and handling time were 0.057/h and 4.71 h for P. maculiventris, and 0 .046/h and 4.37 h for P. nigrispinus. In addition, two greenhouse expe riments were conducted in which nymphs of P. maculiventris were releas ed against caterpillars of the tomato looper on sweet pepper plants. W hen fourth-instar nymphs of the predator were released at a predator:p rey ratio of 1:3.3, populations of fourth-instar caterpillars were red uced by 40% in 48 h, and leaf-feeding damage after 1 week was reduced by 65%. The potential of these predatory stinkbugs to control outbreak s of noctuid caterpillars in glasshouse crops is discussed.