. In a first experiment, egg masses randomly distributed were shown the most adequate method of exposure of E. heros to parasitism. In a second experiment, egg masses of E. heros were randomly glued on cardboard cards and exposed to parasitism by T. podisi and T. basalis. The parasitoids multiplied on E. heros eggs showed parasitism (ca. 99%) similar to that observed with T. basalis reared on N. viridula eggs (99.7%). Emergence rates were higher than 80% for T. podisi and T. basalis multiplied on E. heros eggs and 95% for T. basalis reared on N. viridula eggs. Later, similar emergence rates (> 78%) were observed on cardboard cards tied on soybean plants. No differences were detected between courtship behavior of T. podisi and T. basalis emerged from E. heros eggs compared to T. basalis emerged from N. viridula eggs. The sex ratios in the offspring of T. podisi and T. basalis emerged from E. heros eggs were similar to that exhibited by the offspring of T. basalis emerged from N. viridula eggs. The results suggest that the developed methodology is simple, efficient and can be an important tool in biological control program of soybean stink bugs.

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-This research aimed to evaluate the potential of Euschistus heros (Fabr.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) as host for multiplication of egg parasitoids, by determining the nymphal and adult performance of E. heros from laboratory and the field, comparing with Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), under mass conditions. One hundred eggs of E. heros and N. viridula were placed among the leaves of soybean plants contained in cages (50x50x70 cm) and observation were made until adult emergence. The nymphs fed on soybean pods, dry soybean and peanuts seeds. The number of nymphs that reached adulthood and the development time were calculated. The survivorship and reproduction performance of laboratory and field populations of E. heros and N. viridula were evaluated during 13 weeks in February-May 1999. The number of eggs produced by 100 pairs of stink bugs per cage containing the same diet was recorded. Nymphal development time of E. heros and N. viridula was 33.0 and 34.0 days and 65.0% and 71.3% of nymphs reached adulthood, respectively. Adults of E. heros reared under laboratory conditions produced 2.5 times more eggs (5547.0 eggs/ cage) than those collected in the field (2262.7 eggs/cage). The adult field population of E. heros had reduced reproduction and longevity due to parasitism by Hexacladia smithii Ash. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The N. viridula adults collected in the field produced 1.7 times more eggs (6304.9 eggs/cage) than those reared in the laboratory (3609.2 eggs/cage). E. heros laboratory reared is a promising host for egg parasitoids multiplication when compared with N. viridula collected in the field.KEY WORDS: Insecta, Glycine max, southern green stink bug, neotropical brown stink bug, rearing.

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