Fertility and life expectancy of the predator Supputius cincticeps (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) exposed to sublethal doses of permethrin

Abstract

The stinkbug Supputius cincticeps (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) can be found in agricultural and forest ecosystems feeding primarily on larvae of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, where it can be exposed to insecticide applications. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the reproductive potential of'S. cincticeps after exposition to sublethal doses of permethrin (5.74 x 10-3, 5.74 x 10-2, 5.74 x 10-1, 5.74 and 57.44 ppb) through the use of a fertility life table. The development cycle of this predator was determined in order to calculate its net reproductive rate (R0), the infinitesimal (rm) and finite (λ) rates of increase in addition to mean generation time (T). The net reproductive (18.31), infinitesimal (rm) (0.050) and finite (λ) (1.051) rates of increase were higher, while generation time (57.93 days) was shorter for S. cincticeps exposed to 5.74x10-1 ppb of permethrin than in the control. This indicates a higher rate of population increase of this predator when exposed to this permethrin dose.