Misumenops pallidus life cycle and recruitment were studied under both laboratory and field conditions during two consecutive years. The life cycle included the egg stage, seven or eight juvenile instars and the adult stage. The first three instars developed within the egg sac, while the others developed as free-living individuals. Total body length increased from 3.2mm in the 3rd instar up to 14mm in adult females in average, and from 3.2mm up to 9mm in males. Predatory rate increased according to growth and maturity in females (females would consume 81% of all prey in the adult stage). Longevity of males and females as adults averaged 69.2 (± 30.76) and 161.3 (± 45.4) days, respectively. The developmental time from IV instar (the first free living instar) to the adult stage (114.2 ± 22.83 days) was very variable and long, suggesting that all IV instars of M. pallidus found in 94% of all sampling dates would represent different cohorts of the same parental generation. Three of potential prey: Rachiplusia nu defoliating larvae and young nymphs of Nezara viridula and Piezodorus guildinii exhibited complete synchrony with the local spider population in the studied commercial soybean plot.
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1 February 2009
Development and Recruitment of Misumenops pallidus (Keyserling) (Araneae: Thomisidae), and Its Synchronicity with Three Potential Prey Species in Soybean Cultures from Argentina
Alda González,
Gerardo Liljesthröm,
Dolores del C. Castro,
Andrea Armendano
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development
Misumenops pallidus
recruitment
soybean pests
synchrony spider-pest