The stink bug Nezara viridula is one of the most threatening pests for agriculture in North and South America, and its oral secretion may be responsible for the damage it causes in soybean (Glycine max) crop. The high level of injury to seeds caused by pentatomids is related to their feeding behavior, morphology of mouth parts, and saliva, though information on the specific composition of the oral secretion is scarce. Field studies were conducted to evaluate the biochemical damage produced by herbivory to developing soybean seeds. We measured metabolites and proteins to profile the insect saliva in order to understand the dynamics of soybean-herbivore interactions. We describe the mouth parts of N. viridula and the presence of metabolites, proteins and active enzymes in the watery saliva that could be involved in seed cell wall modification, thus triggering plant defenses against herbivory. We did not detect proteins from bacteria, yeasts, or soybean in the oral secretion after feeding. These results suggest that the digestive activity and organic compounds of watery saliva may elicit a plant self-protection response. This study adds to our understanding of stink bug saliva plasticity and its role in the struggle against soybean defenses.

Nezara viridula臭虫是对北美和南美农业最具威胁的害虫之一，其口腔分泌物可能是其对大豆 ( Glycine max ) 作物造成损害的原因。尽管有关口腔分泌物具体成分的信息很少，但蝽对种子造成的高程度伤害与其摄食行为、口器形态和唾液有关。进行了实地研究，以评估食草动物对发育中的大豆种子产生的生化损害。我们测量了代谢物和蛋白质来分析昆虫唾液，以了解大豆与草食动物相互作用的动态。我们描述了绿色猪笼草的口部以及水状唾液中代谢物、蛋白质和活性酶的存在，这些代谢物、蛋白质和活性酶可能参与种子细胞壁的修饰，从而触发植物对草食性的防御。我们没有在喂食后的口腔分泌物中检测到来自细菌、酵母或大豆的蛋白质。这些结果表明，水样唾液的消化活动和有机化合物可能会引发植物的自我保护反应。这项研究增加了我们对臭虫唾液可塑性及其在对抗大豆防御中的作用的理解。