Scientific name

Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) (=Canthecona furcellata, Cantheconidea furcellata)

Taxonomic position

Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae

Diagnosis

The nymps are black with red markings on their abdomen and prothorax and a reddish proboscis. Adults are black or dark-grey in colour with white and grey spots all over their prothorax and hemelytra.

Image

Distribution

Widely distributed in the Oriental region, particularly South-East Asian countries including India, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan and parts of Japan.

Biology / Hosts

Eocanthecona furcellata is an effective generalist predator of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Heteroptera. It has been identified as an effective biological control agent against various lepidopteran pests and is commonly collected on several major field crops such as cotton, groundnut, etc. It has been recorded as feeding on the immature stages of the Mexican beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister, reducing its efficacy in the field.

It is most active at temperatures 25-30°C. A female adult can consume about 4.5 caterpillars per day. Their predatory rates increase with prey density. Attempts have been made to standardise rearing procedures, including artificial diets for E. furcellata in Japan.

References

  • Chu, Y. 1975. Rearing density of Eocanthecona furcellata, with special consideration to its mass production (Asopinae: Pentatomidae). Rostria, 24: 135-140.
  • Kobayashi, H., and T. Okada. 1995. Suitability of two kinds of meat-based artificial diets for the development of the predatory stinkbug, Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Proc. Assoc. Plant Prot. Shikoku No. 30: 131-135 (in Japanese).
  • Kumar, M., A. N. Shylesha, and N. S. A. Thakur. 1996. Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae): a promising predator of Craspedonta leayana (Latr.) (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera) on Gmelina arborea in Meghalaya. Insect Environment, 2: 56-57.
  • Yasuda, T. and S. Wakamura. 1992. Rearing of the predatory stink bug, Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), on frozen larvae of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Applied Entomology and Zoology, 27(2): 303-305.