The effects of different water and nutrient sources on the developmental and reproductive parameters of Dolycoris baccarum (L.) (Hemiptera: pentatomidae)

Dolycoris baccarum (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a polyphagous pest that feeds by sucking on the seeds of plants such as cereals, sunflower, lentils and tobacco. This pest is also among the alternative hosts of Trissolcus semistriatus Nees (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) that is the egg parasitoid of an important pest of grains, Eurygaster integriceps Put. (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae). In this study, biological parameters of D. baccarum were investigated on different water and nutrient sources combinations. Thus, it is aimed to contribute to the mass production of the pest. In the study, 3 different water [water (W), green bean pods (GB) and baby sun rose branches (BSR)] sources and their combinations with nutrient [sunflower (SF), soybean (SB) and peanut (P) seeds] sources were used as application subjects. The experiment was carried out at 25℃ temperature, 60% relative humidity and 14:10 hours light: dark conditions, according to a randomized plot design with 20 replications. As a result of the study, the total nymph development times were the shortest in GB+SF and GB+SB and were 23.0 and 23.5 days, respectively. The highest fecundity was obtained as 122.2, 106.0 and 104.2 eggs/female from GB+SF, GB+P and BSR+P treatments, respectively. Similarly, the highest intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate were obtained from the same water and nutrient combinations. The intrinsic rate of increase was determined as 0.063, 0.066 and 0.064 and net reproductive rate was determined as 36.65, 26.50 and 26.05 offspring/individual, respectively. However, no statistical difference was found between different water and nutrient treatments in terms of the fecundity, intrinsic rate of increase and net reproductive rate. As a result of the study, it was concluded that mass rearing of D. baccarum can be successfully achieved with GB+SF, GB+P and BSR+P applications.