Record of Edessa scabriventris Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) associated to Eugenia uniflora (Brazilian-Cherry) and Psidium guajava (Guava) (Myrtaceae), in north-northeastern Brazil

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Record of Edessa scabriventris Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) associated to Eugenia uniflora (Brazilian-Cherry) and Psidium guajava (Guava) (Myrtaceae), in north-northeastern Brazil

Mauricio S Lima^I; José A M Fernandes^II; Iracilda M M Lima^III

^IMestrando do Curso de Agronomia;

^IICentro de Ciências Biológicas, Univ Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Correia, 1, Guamá , 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brasil; [e-mail]

^IIIInstituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Univ Federal de Alagoas, Praça Afrânio Jorge s/n Prado, 57010-020 Maceió, AL; [e-mail]; [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

This study reports for the first time Edessa scabriventris Stål on Eugenia uniflora (Brazilian-cherry) and on Psidium guajava (guava) (Myrtaceae), fruit trees with economic value. Its geographic distribution is extended with records for the states of Alagoas (Maceió Municipality 35°45'11.16''W; 9°40^'18.52''S) and Pará (Belém Municipality 48°28'14.65''W; 1°26'14.83''S), north-northeastern Brazil.

Key words: Geographic distribution, Neotropical Region, host plant

The genus Edessa (Fabricius) has approximately 260 described species with a wide range of distribution in the Neotropical Region (Silva et al 2006). In South America, some species feed on several economic important plants, including tobacco (Solanaceae), which can wilt and die if heavily infested (Panizzi et al 2000).

In Brazil, Edessa species are commonly referred on soybean, Glycine max (Leguminosae), in the South (Costa & Link 1974) and in Mid-West regions (Medeiros et al 1998). Other host plants from Malvaceae, Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Poaceae, Rutaceae are also listed by Silva et al (1968). Specimens of Edessa sp. were collected feeding on sesame, Sesamum indicum (Pedaliaceae) in the Southeast (Perioto et al 2004), while in the Northeast only Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius) was recorded on soybean, in the State of Maranhão (Panizzi 2002).

Considering the importance of information related to the biogeography and bioecology of Neotropical species of pentatomids, and the detection of a frequent occurrence of a species of Edessa associated to Eugenia uniflora (Brazilian-cherry) and Pisidium guajava (guava) (Myrtaceae), the present communication reports these insect-plant associations and some biological features.

Eggs, nymphs and adults of this Edessa species were field-collected in urban and sub-urban areas of Maceió municipality (35°45'11.16''W; 9°40^'18.52''S), state of Alagoas, Brazil in Brazilian-cherry trees. Bugs were kept in plastic containers and fed terminal stems with and without green fruits. Dead adults were mounted and deposited at the entomological collection of the Zoology Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and at the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Brazil.

The species was identified as Edessa scabriventris Stål. The prior record of distribution was the state of Rio de Janeiro (Distant 1887). Label data of specimens deposited at the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi confirms that this species also feed on Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) (guava), in Belém municipality (48°28'14,65''W; 1°26'14,83''S), state of Pará, Brazil. Most eggs hatched, but nymphs did not reach adult stage, mostly dying right after the second ecdysis. However, 3^rd instars collected in the field and maintained in laboratory conditions developed to adulthood. In field conditions, immatures and adults feed on stems and green fruits of Brazilian cherry trees, which show damage when mature; the fruit has been widely used by Brazilian industry of natural juices and ice-cream (Silva 1991), and the wood is used as tool handles (Lorenzi 1992).

This record states for the first time two Myrtaceae species as woody host plants for E. scabriventris, and extends its distribution to more than 2,000 km northward, in the state of Pará.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Prof Jocélia Grazia (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), for valuable suggestions in the beginning of this study; Dr Antônio R Panizzi (Embrapa Soja), for bibliography; Jovenil Silva (Embrapa Soja) for suggestions on pentatomid laboratory rearing; Ângelo M M Dantas Jr and Natália L S Santos, for help in insect rearing; and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for financial support to the first author.

Received 17/III/09.

Accepted 24/VII/09.

Edited by Antônio R Panizzi EMBRAPA

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  14 Sept 2010
• Date of issue
  Aug 2010

History

• Received
  17 Mar 2009
• Accepted
  24 July 2009