The omnivorous predator
            Macrolophus pygmaeus
            , a good candidate for the control of both greenhouse whitefly and poinsettia thrips on gerbera plants

AbstractMacrolophus pygmaeus, a predatory mirid used to manage greenhouse whitefly, was illegally imported into New Zealand, and for a time was reared and sold to commercial tomato growers. We designed and implemented a risk-based detection survey to determine whether M. pygmaeus was still present in New Zealand a decade later. The survey was designed to have an 80% chance of detecting a single low density (0.05 per lineal metre of host plants) population within 1 km of known points of introduction. The survey was implemented between 8 and 15 March 2018. Local habitat constraints meant that the planned sampling had to be modified but this was accounted for in the subsequent analysis. No M. pygmaeus were found in the samples, but 93 specimens from seven other mirid taxa were detected, validating the sample methods. The survey gives 60% confidence that M. pygmaeus was not present at a mean density of 0.05 per lineal metre of habitat. It gives 80% confidence that a population at 0.1 m−1 was not present and 90% confidence that no population exists at >0.18 m−1. Though there are no published data on typical field population densities of M. pygmaeus, for related species the survey would have had high confidence in detecting any medium to high density population present. Therefore, it is likely that M. pygmaeus is no longer present in New Zealand, but if extant within the sampled areas then we have high certainty that it was at low densities compared to other predaceous mirids.

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A novel non-trichome based whitefly resistance QTL in Solanum galapagense

Euphytica ◽

10.1007/s10681-021-02770-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 217 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Joris Santegoets ◽

Marcella Bovio ◽

Wendy van’t Westende ◽

Roeland E. Voorrips ◽

Ben Vosman

Keyword(s):

Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽

Recombinant Inbred Lines ◽

Glandular Trichomes ◽

Glandular Trichome ◽

Trialeurodes Vaporariorum ◽

Inbred Lines ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Greenhouse Whitefly ◽

Major Threat ◽

Type Iv

AbstractThe greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum is a major threat in tomato cultivation. In greenhouse grown tomatoes non-trichome based whitefly resistance may be better suited than glandular trichome based resistance as glandular trichomes may interfere with biocontrol, which is widely used. Analysis of a collection of recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum galapagense showed resistance to the whitefly T. vaporariorum on plants without glandular trichomes type IV. The resistance affected whitefly adult survival (AS), but not oviposition rate. This indicates that S. galapagense, in addition to trichome based resistance, also carries non-trichome based resistance components. The effectiveness of the non-trichome based resistance appeared to depend on the season in which the plants were grown. The resistance also had a small but significant effect on the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, but not on the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis. A segregating F2 population was created to map the non-trichome based resistance. Two Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for reduced AS of T. vaporariorum were mapped on chromosomes 12 and 7 (explaining 13.9% and 6.0% of the variance respectively). The QTL on chromosome 12 was validated in F3 lines.

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Vibrational communication and mating behavior of the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-85904-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Valeria Fattoruso ◽

Gianfranco Anfora ◽

Valerio Mazzoni

Keyword(s):

Mating Behavior ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Trialeurodes Vaporariorum ◽

Vibrational Communication ◽

Greenhouse Whitefly ◽

Behavioral Manipulation ◽

Vibrational Signals ◽

Intraspecific Communication ◽

Behavioral Transition ◽

First Time

AbstractThe greenhouse whitefly (GW), Trialeurodes vaporariorum is considered one of the most harmful insect pests in greenhouses worldwide. The GW mating behavior has been partially investigated and its vibrational communication is only in part known. A deeper knowledge of its intraspecific communication is required to evaluate the applicability of control methods based on techniques of behavioral manipulation. In this study, for the first time, we provided a detailed ethogram of the GW mating behavior and we characterized the vibrational signals emitted during the process of pair formation. We characterized two types of male vibrational emissions (“chirp” and “pulses”), differently arranged according to the behavioral stage to form stage-specific signals, and a previously undescribed Male Rivalry Signal. We recorded and characterized two new female signals: The Female Responding Signal and the Female Rejective Signal. The mating behavior of GW can be divided into six different stages that we named “call”, “alternated duet”, “courtship”, “overlapped duet”, “mating”, “failed mating attempt”. The analysis performed with the Markovian behavioral transition matrix showed that the “courtship” is the key stage in which male exhibits its quality and can lead to the “overlapped duet” stage. The latter is strictly associated to the female acceptance and therefore it plays a crucial role to achieve mating success. Based on our findings, we consider the use of vibrational playbacks interfering with GW mating communication a promising option for pest control in greenhouses. We discuss the possibility to start a research program of behavioral manipulation to control the populations of GW.

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Distribution, abundance and natural enemies of the invasive tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) in Kenya

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485321000304 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

G. Kinyanjui ◽

F. M. Khamis ◽

F. L. O. Ombura ◽

E. U. Kenya ◽

S. Ekesi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Enemies ◽

Sustainable Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Tuta Absoluta ◽

Macrolophus Pygmaeus ◽

Larval Parasitoids ◽

Parasitism Rates ◽

Nesidiocoris Tenuis ◽

Sentinel Plants ◽

Open Fields

Abstract Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has become a serious menace to sustainable production of tomato in Kenya. A survey was conducted between April 2015 and June 2016 to determine its distribution, abundance, infestation, and damage levels on tomato, and associated natural enemies. Trap counts of T. absoluta moths were recorded in all surveyed 29 counties, which indicated its nationwide distribution irrespective of altitude. Tuta absoluta was present in both open fields and greenhouses. The highest moth/trap/day was 115.38 ± 15.90. Highest leaf infestation was 92.22% and the highest number of mines and larvae per leaf were 3.71 ± 0.28 and 2.16 ± 0.45, respectively. Trap captures in terms of moth/trap/day were linearly and positively related to leaf infestations in open fields (R2 = 0.81) and greenhouses (R2 = 0.61). Highest fruits’ infestation and damage were 60.00 and 59.61%, respectively, while the highest number of mines per fruit was 7.50 ± 0.50. Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) and Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) were identified as predators of T. absoluta larvae. Nine species of larval parasitoids were recovered from infested foliage, with a combined parasitism of 7.26 ± 0.65%. Hockeria species was the most dominant (31.25%) and accounted for 12.88 ± 1.47% parasitism. Two species of larval parasitoids, Hockeria and Necremnus were obtained from sentinel plants with an average parasitism of 1.13 ± 0.25. The overall abundance and parasitism rates of recovered natural enemies were low to effectively control the field populations of T. absoluta. These findings form the basis of researching and developing effective and sustainable management strategies for the pest.

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Greenhouse Whitefly Control on Petunias, Michigan, 1993

Arthropod Management Tests ◽

10.1093/amt/19.1.333 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 333-333

Author(s):

D. R. Smitley ◽

T. W. Davis

Keyword(s):

Michigan State University ◽

State University ◽

Single Plant ◽

Greenhouse Whitefly ◽

Clay Pots ◽

Made In

Abstract Petunia plants were raised from seed in 6 inch clay pots for 10 wks reaching a height of 10-12 inches in a research greenhouse infested with whitefly at Michigan State University. Each treatment including a control was replicated 6 times. Each replicate was a single plant. Precounts of 5 leaves taken randomly from each plant were completed on 14 and 21 Jul. All immature whitefly (pupae and larvae) were counted. The treatments were blocked based on these precounts. Applications were applied on 22, 30 Jul and 6 Aug with a R&D CO2 sprayer with a single 8008 nozzle at 50 psi until first runoff. Postcounts were made in the same manner as precounts on 28 Jul, 4, 12 Aug.

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