Predation by Nesidiocoris tenuis on Bemisia tabaci and injury to tomato
- 10 May 2008
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in BioControl
- Vol. 54 (2), 237-246
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-008-9164-y
Abstract
Tomato is the most important vegetable crop in Spain. The mirid bug Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) commonly appears in large numbers in protected and open-air tomato crops where little or no broad-spectrum insecticides are used. Nesidiocoris tenuis is known to be a predator of whiteflies, thrips and several other pest species. However, it is also considered a pest because it can feed on tomato plants, causing necrotic rings on stems and flowers and punctures in fruits. Our objectives were to evaluate predation by N. tenuis on sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci Gennadius under greenhouse conditions and establish its relationship to N. tenuis feeding on tomato. Two different release rates of N. tenuis were compared with an untreated control (0, 1 and 4 N. tenuis plant−1) in cages of 8 m2. Significant reductions of greater than 90% of the whitefly population and correspondingly high numbers of N. tenuis were observed with both release rates. Regression analysis showed that necrotic rings on foliage caused by N. tenuis were best explained by the ratio of B. tabaci nymphs:N. tenuis as predicted by the equation y = 15.086x − 0.6359.Keywords
This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit:
- Impact of Macrolophus caliginosus Presence on Damage Production by Dicyphus tamaninii (Heteroptera: Miridae) on Tomato FruitsJournal of Economic Entomology, 2002
- Comparison of prey consumption by Dicyphus tamaninii reared conventionally, and on a meat-based dietBioControl, 2002
- Macrolophus caliginosus (Wagner) as an Intraguild Prey for the Zoophytophagous Dicyphus tamaninii Wagner (Heteroptera: Miridae)Biological Control, 2001
- The functions of plant feeding in the omnivorous predator Dicyphus hesperus: water places limits on predationEcological Entomology, 2000
- Resistance ofBemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to insecticides in southern Spain with special reference to neonicotinoidsPest Management Science, 2000
- INDUCED RESPONSES TO HERBIVORY IN WILD RADISH: EFFECTS ON SEVERAL HERBIVORES AND PLANT FITNESSEcology, 1999
- Management of Western Flower Thrips on Cucumber withDicyphus tamaninii(Heteroptera: Miridae)Biological Control, 1996
- Baseline determination and detection of resistance to imidacloprid in Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)Bulletin of Entomological Research, 1996
- The Mirid Bug Dicyphus tamaninii as a Greenhouse Whitefly and Western Flower Thrips Predator on CucumberBiocontrol Science and Technology, 1995
- The HemipteraJournal of Animal Ecology, 1993