Developmental response of the brown-winged green bug, Plautia stali (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), to food shortage

To study developmental response of the brown-winged green bug, Plautia stali Scott, to food shortage we reared nymphs under restricted feeding conditions produced by shortening the feeding period after molt or withholding food from second to fifth instars. For second instars, molting rates were significantly reduced as the feeding period was shortened. Shortening the feeding periods for third to fifth instars also reduced molting rates, but less so; some nymphs were able to complete their developments even if no food was given to any of the instars. Compared with controls for which feeding was not restricted, nymphs that successfully reached the next instar had reduced postmolt body size as a result of restricted feeding for all instars except the fifth (2-day feeding for second instar, and 1-day feeding for third and fourth instars), whereas instar duration was unchanged or only slightly prolonged for all instars. These results suggest that only nymphs with nutritional accumulation over a specific threshold in each instar can progress to the next instar, and that, particularly for second to fourth instars, nymphs develop on schedule without prolonging instar durations to compensate for reduced growth under conditions of food shortage.