Life History Traits and Predatory Performance of Belostoma anurum(Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), a Biological Control Agent of Disease Vector Mosquitoes

Understanding the life cycle and dietary requirements of laboratory-reared insects is critical for optimizing resources (including time) and can provide more reliable ecological basis for using such biological control agents in realistic programs. Here, we evaluated the complete development and the predatory abilities of Belostoma anurum(Herrich-Schäffer, 1848) (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), an aquatic predator widely distributed in Neotropical region, when reared at different diets. We firstly investigated the predatory performance of B. anurumnymphs upon mosquito larvae (i.e., larvae of Aedes aegypti(Linnaeus, 1758) or Culexsp. (Diptera: Culicidae)) and, second, whether the immature diets (i.e., arthropod-based diet (mosquito larvae and adults of Notonectidae) or vertebrate (fish larvae)–based diet) affect the predatory behavior of B. anurumadults. The B. anurumegg-to-adult developmental time was 85.1 days in an arthropod-based diet. However, when a fish-based diet was offered after nymphs reached 3rd instar, we recorded up to 50% reductions on the B. anurumdevelopmental time. Interestingly, B. anurumadults could live more than 1 year under laboratory conditions, independently of the immature diet regime. Furthermore, the fish diet–experienced B. anurumadults spent less time feeding on fish larvae when compared with adults that never experienced this type of diet. Predatory results revealed that 2nd instar B. anurumwere more efficient to catch and consume larvae of A. aegyptithan of Culexsp. Collectively, our findings show that B. anurumis long-lived aquatic predators, and demonstrate the impacts of dietary regime on the life history traits and predatory performance of these insects.