Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects - EcoPort

136 Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects
Dysdercus cingulatus (Fabricius)
Rating
Origin
Distribution
Biology
Hemiptera, Pyrrhocoridae
cotton stainer, red cotton bug, red seed bug
Southeast Asia China Southern and Western Pacific
++ Viet, Indo, Phil
11 + Myan, Thai, Laos,
Msia, Sing
+
P Brun P PNG, Sol Is, Van, Marianas,
Carolines, N Cal.
Southeast Asia.
Waterhouse (1993a) was in error in accepting Kalshoven (1981), who listed
the distribution of D. cingulatus as Ôwidespread from the Mediterranean to
AustraliaÕ. In fact, it occurs from north eastern India through Bangladesh to
all Southeast Asian countries, southern China, southern Japan, Irian Jaya,
Papua New Guinea, eastern Australia, Saipan, Palau, Pohnpei, Yap,
Solomon Is., Vanuatu and New Caledonia (CIE 1985). There are some 50
species of Dysdercus,
some of which appear to be native to the African,
Ethiopian, Southern Asian and American regions respectively (Freeman
1947). D. cingulatus is not recorded from Africa, Europe, Western Asia or
the Americas.
Eggs are usually laid singly in batches of about 100 (range 25 to 112) in
small depressions in the soil under the host plant. They are camouflaged with
soil particles or other debris. Some 80% of the eggs hatch in about 6 days if
there is the essential high humidity. The optimum hatch occurs at 30¡C and
80% RH. There are 5 nymphal instars which take 25 to 27 days to complete
and the oviposition to adult period is thus 31 to 33 days. The first instar
nymphs do not feed. Later instars suck sap with a preference for pods and
seeds. All stages are gregarious. The male:female ratio is 3:2 and mating
takes place readily and repeatedly, pairs often remaining in copula for 2 to 4
days, during which they move and feed (Srivastava and Bahadur 1958;
Thomas 1966; Ahmad and Aziz 1982, 1983, Farine and Lobreau 1984,
Siddiqi 1985, 1987; Khoo et al. 1991).