Nutritional ecology of a predatory stink bug: A comparative analysis of nutrient acquisition from two prey species and an artificial diet

The nutritional content of prey plays a pivotal role in shaping the predatory behavior and effectiveness of natural pest control agents like Eocanthecona furcellata. We assessed the biological performance and life history of E. furcellata on three diets, larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda, larvae of Tenebrio molitor, and an artificial diet. We also analyzed their nutritional content and quantified consumption and nutritional intake by E. furcellata. The three diets differed substantially in water, protein, and fat content. The moisture content of T. molitor larvae was significantly lower (35.0 ± 0.3 %) than that of S. frugiperda larvae (61.0 ± 0.6 %) or the artificial diet (88.7 ± 0.1 %). Female E. furcellata obtained 8.3 mg of protein per day feeding on S. frugiperda, significantly more than on T. molitor (2.4 mg) or the artificial diet (0.4 mg). 15-day fecundity ranged from 140.2 (±9.3) eggs on S. frugiperda, to 103.3 (±4.8) eggs on T. molitor, and 75.1 (±7.1) eggs on the diet. Our study provides insights into the nutritional ecology of E. furcellata and ways to improve the breeding of this beneficial species for augmentation in agricultural applications.