Plant Bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) Associated with Roadside Habitats in Argentina and Paraguay: Host Plant, Temporal, and Geographic Range Effects

Abstract

Between November 1999 and September 2001, mirid nymphs (Hemiptera: Miridae) were collected on wild and cultivated plants in central and northern Argentina and southeastern Paraguay. In the laboratory, nymphs were reared until adult emergence. Four (Bryocorinae, Deraeocorinae, Mirinae, and Orthotylinae) of the eight mirid subfamilies were collected during the study. Twenty-two mirid species on 43 putative host plant species were collected in Argentina, and Þve species of mirids on eight plant species were collected in Paraguay. Eighty-Þve new miridÐplant associations were recorded (only 112 miridÐplant associations had been reported previously for Argentina). Most of the mirids were in the subfamily Mirinae, tribe Mirini, and most of the host plants belonged to Asteraceae. Almost all mirids were collected on plants with ßower buds present. In addition to host plant records, the phenology and pattern of plant use for the most abundant mirids are reported. Mirid richness and abundance varied according to the host plant species; the highest diversity and richness of mirids occurred in the western region of Argentina (Salta, Jujuy, and Tucumán provinces). The most frequently collected mirid, Taylorilygus apicalis (Fieber) ('87% of the 35,970 collected mirids), was usually collected on Asteraceae. This exotic species could have affected the native mirid fauna in the study area. More research on the possible interactions between T. apicalis and the native mirids of Argentina and Paraguay is needed. Our results suggest that T. apicalis exhibits regional polyphagy, i.e., uses numerous hosts throughout its geographic range. RESUMEN Entre Noviembre de 1999 y Septiembre de 2001, ninfas de mṍridos (Hemiptera: Miridae) fueron colectadas sobre plantas silvestres y cultivadas en centro y norte de Argentina y el sudeste de Paraguay. Las ninfas colectadas se criaron hasta el estado adulto en el laboratorio. De las eight subfamilias de mṍridos conocidas, se colectaron four en este estudio: (Bryocorinae, Deraeocorinae, Mirinae, y Orthotylinae). En Argentina, 22 especies de mṍridos fueron colectadas sobre 43 especies de plantas, y 5 mṍridos sobre ocho plantas en Paraguay. Un total de 85 asociaciones planta-insecto nuevas fueron registradas (112 eran conocidas previamente en Argentina). La mayorṍa de los mṍridos colectados pertenecṍan a la subfamilia Mirinae, tribu Mirini, mientras que las plantas hospedadoras pertenecieron a la familia Asteraceae. La casi totalidad de los mṍridos fueron colectados sobre plantas con ßores presente. Además de los datos sobre las plantas hospedadoras de los mṍridos, se presentan datos sobre fenologṍa y patrones de utilizació n de las plantas de los mṍridos más abundantes. En general la riqueza y la abundancia de los mṍridos varió de acuerdo a las especies de las plantas hospedadoras; la mayor diversidad y riqueza de mṍridos se observó en el oeste de Argentina (en las provincias de Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán). Taylorilygus apicalis (Fieber) fue el mṍrido más abundante (87% de los 35.970 mṍridos colectados) y ...

Composition and structure of a Miridae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) assemblage from a relict of deciduous rainforest in southern Brazil

“…Most of the species were found to be associated with Asteraceae flower buds. Both MELO et al (2004) and LOGARZO et al (2005) reported much higher abundance, but fewer species than we observed at PET. PAULA & FERREIRA (1998) recorded 1,082 individuals from 96 species of Miridae by using a light trap over 64 months.…”

“…The most abundant species in their study was Campyloneuropsis cincticornis (Stål, 1860) (Bryocorinae), followed by the mirines Taedia stigmosa (Berg, 1878), Derophthalma fluminensis Carvalho, 1944 and Taylorilygus apicalis (Fieber, 1861). The latter, an exotic species, was the most abundant mirid in the study of LOGARZO et al (2005), representing 87% of the specimens collected. These authors studied mirid-host plant associations for 22 species along road side habitats in Argentina and Paraguay by collecting and rearing more than 35,000 nymphs.…”

“…In the province of Corrientes, Argentina, MELO et al (2004) recorded 33 species by using different collection methods. LOGARZO et al (2005) sampled mirids on road-side vegetation and recorded five species in Paraguay and 22 in Argentina, besides 86 insect-plant associations. In Brazil, FERREIRA (1999) listed 43 genera and 69 species for the state of São Paulo, based on literature and data from deposited specimens.…”

Faunistic analysis of pest insects and their natural enemies associated with hairy fleabane in soybean crop1

“…Both juvenile (larvae) and adult A large number of the true bugs T. apicalis and N. simulans were also identified, mainly in São Vicente do Sul. Despite being native to Africa, T. apicalis is a common species in South America (Logarzo et al 2005). It is polyphagous and may attack bean, lettuce, cotton, sunflower and other crops.…”

Effects of Plant Stress and Habitat Manipulation on Aphid Control in Greenhouse Sweet Peppers

“…Among the Heteroptera, one species of Miridae represented 22% of individuals captured in the WF treatment (Figure 1). Mirids are omnivorous arthropods along a continuum between zoophagy and fitophagy; they are commonly found on Asteraceae (Logarzo et al 2005), the family to which sow-thistle and marigold belong. Coccinellidae was the most abundant predator taxon.…”