Feeding and Nutrition of Lygus hesperus.1 III. Limited Growth and Development on a Meridic Diet2

Abstract

A chemically defined diet was used to rear Lygus hesperus Knight from first instars to egg-laying adults. Bugs fed a diet containing a high concentration of amino acids produced 3 times as many eggs as bugs fed green beans.Lygus bugs grew larger and matured faster when reared on diets containing 2–6% sucrose as compared with beanfed insects. However, the bugs survived significantly better on beans than on any of the diets tested. Bugs failed to mature in the absence of all salts or vitamins, but matured if reared on diets containing no sterol or trace elements. Eggs produced by diet-reared bugs rarely hatched; thus no second-generation insects have been produced on any of the diets.