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12 January 2017 First Evidence of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) Feeding From Mesophyll of Eucalyptus Leaves
Marina Santadino, María E. Brentassi, Diego D. Fanello, Carlos Coviella
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Abstract

The bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé, 2006 (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) originally 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 camaldulensis 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 of chloroplasts were also observed. The presence of chlorophyll 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.

© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Marina Santadino, María E. Brentassi, Diego D. Fanello, and Carlos Coviella "First Evidence of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae) Feeding From Mesophyll of Eucalyptus Leaves," Environmental Entomology 46(2), 251-257, (12 January 2017). https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvw163
Received: 24 June 2016; Accepted: 19 November 2016; Published: 12 January 2017
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KEYWORDS
bronze bug
Chlorophyll
feeding behavior
mesophyll
salivary deposit
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