Efeito de consumo e não consumo do parasitoide de ovos Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) sobre adultos de Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract

Soybean is currently the most important legume in Brazilian agribusiness. However, its production is affected by the brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), a pest associated with significant damage and economic losses. Among the available biological control tools, the parasitoid Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) stands out, as it acts on stink bug eggs, reducing nymph emergence and, consequently, plant damage. Host–parasitoid interactions mediated by consumption (direct effects) have been widely studied over the last decades and have revealed a high parasitism capacity. Due to its promising performance, this species has already been registered for commercial use in inundative releases in soybean crops. However, non-consumptive effects (indirect effects), which involve behavioral changes in the host, such as evasion or defensive strategies when detecting the presence of natural enemies, remain poorly explored in this tritrophic system. In this study, we present a comprehensive review of the role of T. podisi as a control agent of E. heros, addressing direct effects (by consumption) and the potential of indirect effects (non-consumptive) in pest population regulation. We evaluated how the presence of the parasitoid impacts the oviposition behavior of E. heros females, seeking to identify possible avoidance responses to chemical and physical cues associated with the parasitoid. Additionally, we assessed the longevity of male and female T. podisi fed with different diets. The results showed that providing honey, either alone or combined with water, significantly increased the longevity of both sexes of T. podisi, whereas the absence of food or the supply of water alone drastically reduced their lifespan. On the other hand, the presence of adults or eggs parasitized by T. podisi did not influence the oviposition site selection by E. heros females. When exposed to high parasitoid densities (15 individuals), a temporary reduction in oviposition was observed, indicating that risk perception under extreme conditions may trigger defensive behavioral responses. These findings contribute to advancing the understanding of interactions between T. podisi and E. heros, highlighting the importance of considering both consumptive and non-consumptive effects when designing effective biological control strategies.