Ecology Tessaratomidae

1 ecology

1.1 life cycle
1.2 maternal care
1.3 defenses
1.4 natural enemies

ecology

all tessaratomids phytophagous. feed upon plants belonging plant orders rosales , sapindales, , spend of lives in tree leaves , stems. exhibit incomplete metamorphosis , have lifespans can several years.

some tessaratomids guard eggs , nymphs predators may include parasitoid wasps , assassin bugs.

life cycle

two bronze orange bugs (musgraveia sulciventris) mating.

the eggs of tessaratomids barrel-shaped or globular. eggs exhibit ring of small protuberances, known micropylar process, permit entry of sperm fertilization eggs (through micropylar canals). provide openings air developing embryos.

the eggs laid in compact clusters glued leaves of variety of plants. laying arrangement can follow pattern. example, in pygoplatys tenangau, egg clusters distinctively hexagonal; while in piezosternum subulatum, arranged in 2 neat rows. eggs white, cream, or yellow in color can change embryos inside mature.

nymphs emerge eggs through peristaltic movements , of internal h-shaped structure in egg known egg burster .

as in other hemipterans, tessaratomids hemimetabolic, undergoing incomplete metamorphosis. means not possess larval , pupal stages. instead, juvenile tessaratomids (called nymphs), hatch directly eggs. nymphs resemble grown adults except size , absence of wings.

nymphs undergo 4 5 successive stages of moltings (ecdysis), increasing in size , becoming more adult-like each stage until final molting. stages individually known instars, earliest stage (just after hatching) being known first nymphal instar. nymphs may differ adults in colors , patterns exhibited. in species, nymphs exhibit strikingly vibrant colors in contrast relative drabness of adults. colors can vary between instars.

mating between adults can last several hours, male , female attached end-to-end.

maternal care

the brilliantly colored , strangely shaped nymphs of pycanum rubens bear little resemblance adults.

maternal care well-documented presocial behavior among tessaratomids. egg guarding adult females first observed in 1991 s. tachikawa among japanese species of genera pygoplatys (subfamily tessaratominae) , erga (subfamily oncomerinae).

in 1998, gogala et al. described tessaratomines of genus pygoplatys thailand , malaysia showing egg guarding behavior. in addition, observed exhibit remarkable maternal behavior. dense cluster of small nymphs photographed being carried around adult females. nymphs firmly clutching unto bottom side of abdomens of adults , each other, forming compact mass. females seem unimpeded burden , able walk around , fly. nymphs, however, not observed feeding. behavior known nymphal phoresy (used adjectivally phoretic ).

in indonesian species pygoplatys tenangau, females cover clutch of 70 120 eggs bodies after laying them, literally standing guard on them. when approached, spray defensive liquid @ perceived attackers , may buzz wings. not willingly abandon eggs guarding, however, , if picked try hold unto leaf eggs attached. takes more 2 weeks eggs hatch. hatching process take 3 4 days, during newly hatched nymphs clamber unto mother s abdomen. observed remain phoretic @ least 17 days (magnien et al., 2008).

in subfamily oncomerinae, predominantly australian group of large colorful bugs, brooding behavior varies species not practice @ (exhibited musgraveia sulciventris) adult females carrying first , second instar nymphs on abdomens.

adult female oncomerines of genus lyramorpha guard nymphs @ least second instar.

oncomerines of genera cumare, garceus, , peltocopta exhibit advanced form of maternal care. described southeast asian pygoplatys individuals, females carry young nymphs around on abdomens. nymphs grow older, separate mothers, lose bright colors, , become more solitary prior molting adults. species exhibit behavior have flattened , expanded abdomens.

of australian oncomerines, bronze orange bug (musgraveia sulciventris) species unequivocally documented lack maternal brooding behavior. peculiarity might connected unreliability of food plant availability species (monteith, 2011). unlike other oncomerines can lay 1 egg clutch amount of time takes care them, m. sulciventris can produce multiple egg clutches rapidly because females don t have care them. allows m. sulciventris rapidly expand population when conditions favorable.

defenses

tesseratomids, heteropterans use chemical defenses (allomones), source of common name pentatomoids - stink bugs . when threatened, tessaratomids may squirt strong jet of caustic liquid distance of 15 27 centimetres (5.9 10.6 in).

the chemicals produced heteropterans alkanes , aldehydes glands in thorax. compounds protection against fellow arthropods (to lethal). however, defensive chemicals of tessaratomids (particularly of tessaratoma papillosa , musgraveia sulciventris) notable being 1 of debilitating vertebrates, defense aimed against birds. can cause damage human skin , cause temporary blindness if sprayed unto eyes.

in lyramoprha parens, nymphs known highly gregarious, forming massed feeding groups , moving new feeding sites in close-packed groups. behavior, along bright colorations , stink glands believed in discouraging potential predators.

aggregation behavior common in adults in species. aside combined chemical defenses, other possible benefits of aggregation include better mating opportunities , shelter, greater retention of moisture , heat, , possible sense of security. lone bugs in species known more skittish bugs in groups. however, aggregation can increase threats of diseases, parasites, , parasitoids.

if these defenses fail, tessaratomids escape predators either flying away or dropping ground (except in cases of females guarding eggs discussed above).

natural enemies

natural enemies of tessaratomids include several tiny parasitoid wasps other hemipterans.

parasitoid wasps parasitize tessaratomids come families eupelmidae, scelionidae, , encyrtidae. adult female parasitoid wasps search out eggs laid tessaratomoids. upon finding some, thrust ovipositors them , lay eggs inside. eggs of parasitoid wasps hatch , develop inside tessaratomid eggs, feeding on tessaratomid embryo , killing it. infested eggs characteristically turn darker in color wasp larva matures. after week, 1 or more adult wasps emerge empty egg.

musgraveia sulciventris parasitized wasps eupelmus poggioni , telenomus spp.; tessaratoma javanica wasps anastatus colemani , anastatus kashmirensis(?); , lychee giant stink bug tessaratoma papillosa wasps ooencyrtus phongi, anastatus spp. (particularly anastatus japonicus), , trissolcus spp. (particularly trissolcus latisulcus).

in tessaratomids considered agricultural pests (like musgraveia sulciventris , tessaratoma papillosa), wasps parasitize them being studied potential biological control agents. in fujian, guangdong, , guangxi provinces of china, mass-reared anastatus japonicus being released combat tessaratoma papillosa pests in lychee , longan crops. same measures reportedly being done in thailand.

musgraveia sulciventris preyed upon predatory pentatomid asopus , assassin bugs (family reduviidae) of species pristhesancus papuensis , pristhesancus plagipennis.