Acceptance and suitability of Nezara viridula nymphs as hosts for Trichopoda pennipes

Trichopoda pennipes F. is a parasitoid species introduced in various countries as a biological control agent against the southern green stink bug Nezara viridula L.. Several studies were performed to investigate the interactions between this parasitoid and the host, but they were focused above all on the adults. Our research was focused on the effects of exposure and parasitization by T. pennipes on the five-instar nymphs of N. viridula. We observed that the exposure to the parasitoid had effects on the development time of the five-instar nymphs and on the lifespan of the nymphs and the adults that emerged from them.