First Evidence of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) Feeding From Mesophyll of Eucalyptus Leaves

MARINA SANTADINO; MARÍA E BRENTASSI; DIEGO D FANELLO; CARLOS COVIELLA

ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOC AMER

Lugar: Lanham; Año: 2017

0046-225X

The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape, 2006 (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) origin¬ally restricted to Australia, is an important emerging pest of Eucalyptus plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. It feeds on mature leaves, causing the loss of photosynthetic surface area and defoliation and, according to some studies, even tree death. In this work, feeding activities of T. peregrinus on Eucalyptus camaiduiensis Dehn leaves and its primary food resources were identified. In cross sections of leaves, solid salivary deposits on epidermal cells and in the vicinity of stomata cells were detected. In subepidermal cells of the palisade parenchyma near the stylet penetration point, disorganization and removal ofchloroplasts were also observed. The presence ofchloro- phyll in guts of adults and nymphs was analyzed using spectrophotometry and confocal laser scanning to obtain in situ fluorescent spectra. Both spectra showed chlorophyll absorbance peaks. In addition, the presence of chlorophyll in guts of T. peregrinus using fluorescence microscopy was identified. These results provide the first evidence that T. peregrinus feeds from the palisade parenchyma (chlorenchyma) of Eucalyptus leaves.