D3273: Does the interaction between Euschistus heros, Diceraeus melacanthus and Piezodorus guildinii influence their movement behavior?

The stink bugs Euschistus heros (F.), Piezodorus guildinii (W.), and Diceraeus melacanthus (D.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are the most important stink bugs in Brazilian soybean crops. These bugs mainly attack soybean pods, causing wrinkling, abscission, and loss of grain yield. Little is known about the interaction between these three species of stink bugs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate behavioral aspects of intraguild interactions involving E. heros, P. guildinii, and D. melacanthus. Video tracking software was used to examine differences in behavior between stink bug adults (48 hours old) in interaction scenarios. The scenarios were monitored with the aid of a camera for 15 minutes. The distance moved (cm), distance between stink bugs (cm), time (s), and frequency (n) in the food zone were evaluated. The test consisted of 10 scenarios with and without food, each scenario was repeated 15 times, totaling 250 replications. The results demonstrated that P. guildinii has high movement capacity under controlled conditions with and without food, while E. heros and D. melacanthus are species that showed lower mobility with and without food. Therefore, these results are relevant for better direction and understanding in the definition of management tactics, such as the monitoring of these species and more precise points of management of these stink bugs.