Differences in Seasonal Variation between Two Biotypes of Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a Biological Control Agent for Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae) in Florida

Abstract

Two biotypes (Paraguay and Argentine) of Megamelus scutellaris (Berg) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a biological control agent for waterhyacinth, were tested for differences in number of progeny, development time, and weight across average south Florida seasonal temperatures. Significant differences between the biotypes were found at summer temperatures. In general, progeny of the Paraguay biotype weighed more than those of the Argentine biotype during the summer.