the article highlights major landmarks in the development of Integrated Pest management (IPm) pro... more the article highlights major landmarks in the development of Integrated Pest management (IPm) programmes for tomato greenhouses in the mediterranean region. this is the story of how biological control has been succesfully implemented as a cornerstone of IPm programmes in Catalonia (northeastern spain), one of the pioneering areas in the mediterranean basin for the im plementation of biological control in greenhouses. In the 1970s, Trialeurodes va porariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was the key pest in the area and first programmes in protected tomato crops were based on inoculative releases of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: aphelinidae). However, failures caused by the expansion of Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera: aphelinidae) and the increasing importance of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: aleyrodidae) propitiated the change to use heteropterans of the miridae family as biocontrol agents. These generalist predators were already observed during the first trials in the 1...
ABSTRACT The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an invasive pest ... more ABSTRACT The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an invasive pest that produces significant damage to tomato crops in the Mediterranean area. Although several species of predatory bugs are successfully being used for biological control of the pest, little is known about the parasitoids that are able to exploit T. absoluta as a host. With the aim of better understanding parasitoid species richness of T. absoluta along the Mediterranean Spanish Coast, we conducted an extensive survey to determine distribution, host plants and habitats where parasitoids are present. Our results indicated that egg parasitoids are naturally scarce but that the species richness of larval/pupal parasitoids is high and includes 20 different species. Seven of these had not been previously reported as T. absoluta parasitoids. The most frequent parasitoid species recovered were Necremnus sp. nr. artynes (Walker), Stenomesius cf. japonicus (Ashmead) and Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).
ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), ... more ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed providing relevant examples. Collections were conducted in 12 countries, both in open field and protected susceptible crops, as well as in wild flora and/or using infested sentinel plants. More than seventy arthropod species, 20% predators and 80% parasitoids, were recorded attacking the new pest so far. Among the recovered indigenous natural enemies only few parasitoid species, namely some eulophid and braconid wasps, and especially mirid predators have promising potential to be included in effective and environmentally-friendly management strategies of the pest in the newly invaded areas. Finally, a brief outlook of the future researches and applications of indigenous T. absoluta biological control agents is provided.
The polyphagous predators Orius laevigatus and O. majusculus are common in several vegetable crop... more The polyphagous predators Orius laevigatus and O. majusculus are common in several vegetable crops and are well-known biocontrol agents of thrips. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an important pest for some of these crops. The aim of the present study was to examine ...
In several areas of Spain, the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and the... more In several areas of Spain, the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), coexist in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller. For integrated pest management decision-making, it is important to know the abundance of each species, because they exhibit different abilities to transmit viruses, are susceptible to different biological control agents, and have different responses to insecticides. This study was conducted to provide information on the vertical distribution of T. vaporariorumn and B. tabaci in tomato plants grown in greenhouses in winter and to determine the optimal sampling unit and the sample size for estimating egg and nymphal densities of both whitefly species. Eggs of T. vaporariorum were mainly located on the top stratum of the plant, whereas B. tabaci eggs were mainly found on the middle stratum. Nymphs of both species mainly concentrated in the bottom stratum of the plant. When pest abundance a...
ABSTRACT The development time for eggs and nymphs and female fertility were determined for Nesidi... more ABSTRACT The development time for eggs and nymphs and female fertility were determined for Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Het., Miridae: Dicyphini) at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 +/- 1 degrees C, using tomato, Solanum esculentum (Miller), as substrate and eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller as substitute prey. At 40 degrees C, N. tenuis was unable to develop and barely reproduced. Egg development ranged from 30.8 days at 15 degrees C to 6.3 days at 35 degrees C. The cumulative thermal requirements for the eggs were 148.6 degree days (degrees d) and the lower thermal threshold, 10.3 degrees C. The duration of the nymphal instar decreased from 55.9 days at 15 degrees C to 8.6 days at 35 degrees C. The thermal constant for the nymphs was 182.3 degrees d and the lower thermal threshold 11.7 degrees C. No nymphs survived at 40 degrees C, and the highest mortalities were at extreme temperatures (15 and 35 degrees C). Female and male weights were influenced significantly by temperature. The fertility of N. tenuis females was reduced greatly at 15 and 40 degrees C. The highest fertility during an observation period of 18 days following female emergence (79.5-60.0 nymphs per female) was within the temperature range of 20 to 35 degrees C. Fertility was related directly to female weight and temperature (r(2) = 0.932). Based on development, reproduction data and thermal requirements, the optimum temperature range for N. tenuis was established as being between 20 and 30 degrees C. Overall, N. tenuis is the most thermophilous of all dicyphines from vegetable crops in the Mediterranean area studied so far.
Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hem. Miridae) is a native zoophytophagous predator of the Mediterra... more Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hem. Miridae) is a native zoophytophagous predator of the Mediterranean region, and its populations colonize tomato crops when they are not heavily treated with insecticides. This generalist predator has a high capacity for controlling insect pests, and it is currently commercially produced and released in some areas to control Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hem. Aleyrodidae). However, its status as a pest and/or as beneficial is controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of damage to tomatoes in extreme conditions of prey scarcity, as well as high predator populations. Three predator densities were tested in a greenhouse cage experiment during a summer tomato crop. The crop did not display any negative effect caused by the predators during the first six weeks of interaction, independently of the density released. However, subsequently, the effect was dramatic, both on the vegetative growth of the plant and on the production of fruits. The reduction in vegetative growth was located at truss eight and it was expressed mainly by a lower number of leaves and a shorter length of the shoot above the truss. There was a significant reduction of yield with a lower number of fruits collected and a smaller mean weight, although this was not observable until truss seven. It seems that feeding on the plant by this mirid bug competed with the vegetative growth and fruiting processes of the plant in the extreme conditions of prey shortage maintained in our experiment.
The native parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and the predator Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur are ... more The native parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and the predator Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur are widely used to control Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in Mediterranean tomato greenhouses. An optimal biological control strategy for B. tabaci should take into account intraguild interactions between these natural enemies.In this study predator's prey preferences and prey consumption were studied when offered different parasitoid and whitefly stages. The
ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), ... more ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed providing relevant examples. Collections were conducted in 12 countries, both in open field and protected susceptible crops, as well as in wild flora and/or using infested sentinel plants. More than seventy arthropod species, 20% predators and 80% parasitoids, were recorded attacking the new pest so far. Among the recovered indigenous natural enemies only few parasitoid species, namely some eulophid and braconid wasps, and especially mirid predators have promising potential to be included in effective and environmentally-friendly management strategies of the pest in the newly invaded areas. Finally, a brief outlook of the future researches and applications of indigenous T. absoluta biological control agents is provided.
the article highlights major landmarks in the development of Integrated Pest management (IPm) pro... more the article highlights major landmarks in the development of Integrated Pest management (IPm) programmes for tomato greenhouses in the mediterranean region. this is the story of how biological control has been succesfully implemented as a cornerstone of IPm programmes in Catalonia (northeastern spain), one of the pioneering areas in the mediterranean basin for the im plementation of biological control in greenhouses. In the 1970s, Trialeurodes va porariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was the key pest in the area and first programmes in protected tomato crops were based on inoculative releases of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: aphelinidae). However, failures caused by the expansion of Encarsia pergandiella (Hymenoptera: aphelinidae) and the increasing importance of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: aleyrodidae) propitiated the change to use heteropterans of the miridae family as biocontrol agents. These generalist predators were already observed during the first trials in the 1...
ABSTRACT The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an invasive pest ... more ABSTRACT The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an invasive pest that produces significant damage to tomato crops in the Mediterranean area. Although several species of predatory bugs are successfully being used for biological control of the pest, little is known about the parasitoids that are able to exploit T. absoluta as a host. With the aim of better understanding parasitoid species richness of T. absoluta along the Mediterranean Spanish Coast, we conducted an extensive survey to determine distribution, host plants and habitats where parasitoids are present. Our results indicated that egg parasitoids are naturally scarce but that the species richness of larval/pupal parasitoids is high and includes 20 different species. Seven of these had not been previously reported as T. absoluta parasitoids. The most frequent parasitoid species recovered were Necremnus sp. nr. artynes (Walker), Stenomesius cf. japonicus (Ashmead) and Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).
ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), ... more ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed providing relevant examples. Collections were conducted in 12 countries, both in open field and protected susceptible crops, as well as in wild flora and/or using infested sentinel plants. More than seventy arthropod species, 20% predators and 80% parasitoids, were recorded attacking the new pest so far. Among the recovered indigenous natural enemies only few parasitoid species, namely some eulophid and braconid wasps, and especially mirid predators have promising potential to be included in effective and environmentally-friendly management strategies of the pest in the newly invaded areas. Finally, a brief outlook of the future researches and applications of indigenous T. absoluta biological control agents is provided.
The polyphagous predators Orius laevigatus and O. majusculus are common in several vegetable crop... more The polyphagous predators Orius laevigatus and O. majusculus are common in several vegetable crops and are well-known biocontrol agents of thrips. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an important pest for some of these crops. The aim of the present study was to examine ...
In several areas of Spain, the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and the... more In several areas of Spain, the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), coexist in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller. For integrated pest management decision-making, it is important to know the abundance of each species, because they exhibit different abilities to transmit viruses, are susceptible to different biological control agents, and have different responses to insecticides. This study was conducted to provide information on the vertical distribution of T. vaporariorumn and B. tabaci in tomato plants grown in greenhouses in winter and to determine the optimal sampling unit and the sample size for estimating egg and nymphal densities of both whitefly species. Eggs of T. vaporariorum were mainly located on the top stratum of the plant, whereas B. tabaci eggs were mainly found on the middle stratum. Nymphs of both species mainly concentrated in the bottom stratum of the plant. When pest abundance a...
ABSTRACT The development time for eggs and nymphs and female fertility were determined for Nesidi... more ABSTRACT The development time for eggs and nymphs and female fertility were determined for Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Het., Miridae: Dicyphini) at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 +/- 1 degrees C, using tomato, Solanum esculentum (Miller), as substrate and eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller as substitute prey. At 40 degrees C, N. tenuis was unable to develop and barely reproduced. Egg development ranged from 30.8 days at 15 degrees C to 6.3 days at 35 degrees C. The cumulative thermal requirements for the eggs were 148.6 degree days (degrees d) and the lower thermal threshold, 10.3 degrees C. The duration of the nymphal instar decreased from 55.9 days at 15 degrees C to 8.6 days at 35 degrees C. The thermal constant for the nymphs was 182.3 degrees d and the lower thermal threshold 11.7 degrees C. No nymphs survived at 40 degrees C, and the highest mortalities were at extreme temperatures (15 and 35 degrees C). Female and male weights were influenced significantly by temperature. The fertility of N. tenuis females was reduced greatly at 15 and 40 degrees C. The highest fertility during an observation period of 18 days following female emergence (79.5-60.0 nymphs per female) was within the temperature range of 20 to 35 degrees C. Fertility was related directly to female weight and temperature (r(2) = 0.932). Based on development, reproduction data and thermal requirements, the optimum temperature range for N. tenuis was established as being between 20 and 30 degrees C. Overall, N. tenuis is the most thermophilous of all dicyphines from vegetable crops in the Mediterranean area studied so far.
Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hem. Miridae) is a native zoophytophagous predator of the Mediterra... more Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hem. Miridae) is a native zoophytophagous predator of the Mediterranean region, and its populations colonize tomato crops when they are not heavily treated with insecticides. This generalist predator has a high capacity for controlling insect pests, and it is currently commercially produced and released in some areas to control Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hem. Aleyrodidae). However, its status as a pest and/or as beneficial is controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of damage to tomatoes in extreme conditions of prey scarcity, as well as high predator populations. Three predator densities were tested in a greenhouse cage experiment during a summer tomato crop. The crop did not display any negative effect caused by the predators during the first six weeks of interaction, independently of the density released. However, subsequently, the effect was dramatic, both on the vegetative growth of the plant and on the production of fruits. The reduction in vegetative growth was located at truss eight and it was expressed mainly by a lower number of leaves and a shorter length of the shoot above the truss. There was a significant reduction of yield with a lower number of fruits collected and a smaller mean weight, although this was not observable until truss seven. It seems that feeding on the plant by this mirid bug competed with the vegetative growth and fruiting processes of the plant in the extreme conditions of prey shortage maintained in our experiment.
The native parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and the predator Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur are ... more The native parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus Mercet and the predator Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur are widely used to control Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) in Mediterranean tomato greenhouses. An optimal biological control strategy for B. tabaci should take into account intraguild interactions between these natural enemies.In this study predator's prey preferences and prey consumption were studied when offered different parasitoid and whitefly stages. The
ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), ... more ABSTRACT The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed providing relevant examples. Collections were conducted in 12 countries, both in open field and protected susceptible crops, as well as in wild flora and/or using infested sentinel plants. More than seventy arthropod species, 20% predators and 80% parasitoids, were recorded attacking the new pest so far. Among the recovered indigenous natural enemies only few parasitoid species, namely some eulophid and braconid wasps, and especially mirid predators have promising potential to be included in effective and environmentally-friendly management strategies of the pest in the newly invaded areas. Finally, a brief outlook of the future researches and applications of indigenous T. absoluta biological control agents is provided.
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