The parasitism of Telenomus podisi Ashmead, on some pentatomid pests of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] was studied. The tests were conducted during soybean crop (1996/97) on two areas, cultivated with BR-48 and BR-37 (area 1 and 2, respectively), at Embrapa Soja, in Londrina, PR. Euschistus heros (Fabricius), Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) and Nezara viridula (Linnaeus) were the most abundant species on this crop. The highest populational density occurred at the end of the crop cycle (5.3, 3.3, 3.6 - area 1 and 5.2, 14.5, 7.5 stink bugs / 2 m - area 2, respectively). On both areas, the parasitoid T. podisi had better interaction, with the population of E. heros, with increasing parasitism on the area 1, reaching 100% in the end of the cycle, and showing above 80% during all sample period on area 2. The parasitism obtained on eggs of E. heros, in cages with isolate population of this insect, was statistically similar, when compared with eggs of the same pentatomid in cages with mixed population containing the three species (31.7 ± 7.51 and 20.1 ± 6.67, respectively). P. guildinii and N. viridula, however, had consistently more parasitism in cages with mixed population.
Insecta; Pentatomidae; Euschistus heros; Piezodorus guildinii; Nezara viridula; biological control
