Effect of different diets on the development, mortality, survival, food uptake and fecundity of Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus (Hemiptera: Miridae)
Keywords:
predator, biology, diets, intraguild predation, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, Ephestia kuehniellaAbstract
Several Miridae (Hemiptera) species have been identified as useful predators for biological control of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). There is interest in determining the effects of different diets on Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus (Spinola) (Hemiptera: Miridae) in order to facilitate their breeding and use in biological control. Given that mirids can be both phytophagous and zoophytophagous, the developmental time, mortality, survival, feeding and fecundity of this species on tomato and tobacco leaves with and without the addition of T. vaporariorum or Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs were studied. To determine embryonic duration, T. cucurbitaceus was allowed to oviposit on tobacco plants for 24 h at 26 °C, 83% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 h L:D. The time of onset of the first instar nymphs was recorded. Subsequently, these nymphs fed on different diets on 9 cm x 1.5 cm plates under the same environmental conditions. Results showed that diet influences the duration of development in T. cucurbitaceus, with nymphal stadia being shorter and the adult stadium being longer when fed prey than when not fed prey. With the addition of prey, nymphal mortality was generally lower and adult survival was higher. The high consumption of T. vaporariorum eggs by T. cucurbitaceus suggests the need for subsequent studies on the latter for inclusion of this species in biological control programs in greenhouses.
Varios Miridae (Hemiptera) son reconocidos como depredadores útiles en programas de control biológico de la mosca blanca de los invernaderos, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Existe interés en determinar los efectos de varias dietas sobre Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus (Spinola) de modo de facilitar su cría y utilización en control biológico. Dado que los míridos pueden ser tanto fitófagos como zoofitófagos se estudió el tiempo de desarrollo, la mortalidad, la sobrevivencia, el consumo y la fecundidad de esta especie sobre hojas de tomate y tabaco con y sin el agregado de huevos de T. vaporariorum o de Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Para determinar la duración embrionaria se permitió oviponer a T. cucurbitaceus sobre una planta de tabaco durante 24 horas a 26ºC, 83% de RH y un fotoperíodo 16:8 (L:O) y se registró el tiempo de aparición de las ninfas del primer estadio. Posteriormente, dichas ninfas se alimentaron con las diferentes dietas en placas de 9 x 1,5 cm a las mismas condiciones ambientales. Se comprobó que la dieta influyó en la duración de desarrollo de T. cucurbitaceus, siendo más breve el estado ninfal y más extensa la vida adulta cuando fue alimentado con presas que sin ellas. Con el agregado de presas la mortalidad de las ninfas resultó generalmente menor y la sobrevivencia de los adultos fue mayor. El alto nivel de consumo de huevos de T. vaporariorum sugiere la necesidad de continuar los estudios sobre T. cucurbitaceus para su inclusión en los programas de control biológico en los invernaderos.
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