Feeding preference and development of Cerotoma arcuata (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on soybean

Abstract

Considering the increasing importance of Cerotoma arcuata in the last years, due to the economical losses caused on soybean crop, absence of insecticides registered in Brazil and lack of information about resistant cultivars, this study aimed to assess the feeding preference of adults and postembryonic development of C. arcuata on soybean cultivars and breeding line, in an attempt to find potential sources of resistance. The BRSMG 750 SRR, M-SOY 7908 RR and P 98Y30 RR commercial cultivars and the PI 274454 breeding line (used as the resistance standard from results obtained with Diabrotica speciosa) were used. In both the free-choice and no-choice feeding preference test, the attractiveness in different times, after releasing the adults, and the leaf area consumed at the end of the experiment were evaluated. In the antibiosis assay, the period and viability of the postembryonic development, weight of adults, sex ratio and longevity of adults without feeding were assessed. Overall, there were no differences in the attractiveness of the adults and leaf area consumed between the soybean cultivars and breeding line. Only the longevity of adults was longer on the PI 274454 breeding line and shorter on the BRSMG 750 SRR cultivar. The soybean commercial cultivars did not present resistance of the non-preference for feeding or antibiosis kinds to C. arcuata, and the PI 274454 breeding line must not be used as a resistance standard in resistance assays against this species.

Keywords

• Glycine max (L.) Merril
• host plant resistance
• leaf beetle