Biweekly field visits starting from January to the end of April 2011 were conducted to tomato fields (open and plastic houses) heavily infested with the tomato borer Tuta absoluta, in order to survey natural enemies associated with this pest. Three hemipterans were found: Orius albidipennis, Orius sp. (Anthocoridae) and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Miridae). In addition, the parasitic wasp Bracon (Habr...

The plant bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae), is one of the most thermophilous dicyphines in agroecosystems and is widely distributed in China. Little is known regarding the genetic structure of N. tenuis and the effect of historical climatic fluctuations on N. tenuis populations. We analyzed partial sequences of three mitochondrial protein-coding genes (COI, ND2 and CytB) and nuclea...

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an effective predator of multiple pests of vegetable crops, such as thrips, mites, aphids, whiteflies, leafminers. It is mass-reared and released for augmentative biocontrol programs mainly aimed at controlling whiteflies and Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in greenhouses and open field. We evaluated the lethal and subletha...

The beneficial effects of direct predation by zoophytophagous biological control agents (BCAs), such as the mirid bug Nesidiocoris tenuis, are well-known. However, the benefits of zoophytophagous BCAs' relation with host plants, via induction of plant defensive responses, have not been investigated until recently. To date, only the females of certain zoophytophagous BCAs have been demonstrated ...

Insecticide selectivity to natural enemies is an important concern in integrated pest management programs. Although there is a wide range of information concerning pesticide lethal and sublethal effects on contaminated surfaces, little is known when the route of exposure occurs at a trophic level. This study evaluates this route of pesticide intake on the omnivorous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis...

Recent studies have suggested that predatory mirid bugs may be an effective alternative for controlling aphids in sweet pepper greenhouses. This study examined the effect of three constant temperatures (18, 24, and 30 °C) on life history traits species Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus, Dicyphus bolivari, preying aphid Myzus persicae nicotianae plants. As temperature increased, survival...

Multiple predator effects (MPEs) can modify the strength of pest regulation, causing positive or negative deviations from those that are predicted from independent effects of isolated predators. Despite increasing evidence that omnivory can shape predator-prey interactions, few studies have examined the impact of alternative plant food on interactions between multiple predators. In the present ...