Abstract
We examined the effects of diet on the developmental period of nymphs, body length of adults, and emergence rate in the rice bug, Leptocorisa chinensis. The spikelets of rice, Oryza sativa, and the seeds of Italian millet, Setaria italica, were used as the diets. All growth parameters examined were improved when the insects were reared with the rice spikelets and the seeds of Italian millet together compared to that with only one of the two diets. The study indicates that the dietary condition must be reconsidered for the improvement of accuracy in the estimation of voltinism and generation time in this species.
