Background: The polyphagous predatory bug O. strigicollis is an active predator used to control thrips and aphids. The whitefly species Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum are voracious pests of different economic agricultural crops and vegetables. Method: In this study, Holling disc equation and age-stage, two-sex life table technique was used to investigate the functional response and biological traits of third instar nymphs and adult female O. strigicollis when presented third instar nymphs of both whitefly species as prey. Results: The results showed a type II functional response for each life stage of O. strigicollis when fed each whitefly species. The calculated prey handling time for different O. strigicollis life stages were shorter when fed T. vaporariorum than when fed B. tabaci nymphs. In contrast, the nymphal development of O. strigicollis was significantly shorter when fed B. tabaci than T. vaporariorum nymphs. Additionally, the total preoviposition period of adult females was statistically shorter when fed B. tabaci nymphs than T. vaporariorum nymphs. Furthermore, the survival rates and total fecundity of O. strigicollis were higher when fed B. tabaci than T. vaporariorum. There were no significant differences in any population parameters of O. strigicollis when fed either whitefly species. These results show that O. strigicollis could survive and maintain its populations on both species of whitefly and could therefore serve as a biological control agent in integrated pest management (IPM).
Background: The polyphagous predatory bug O. strigicollis is an active predator used to control thrips and aphids. The whitefly species Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum are voracious pests of different economic agricultural crops and vegetables. Method: In this study, Holling disc equation and age-stage, two-sex life table technique was used to investigate the functional response and biological traits of third instar nymphs and adult female O. strigicollis when presented third instar nymphs of both whitefly species as prey. Results: The results showed a type II functional response for each life stage of O. strigicollis when fed each whitefly species. The calculated prey handling time for different O. strigicollis life stages were shorter when fed T. vaporariorum than when fed B. tabaci nymphs. In contrast, the nymphal development of O. strigicollis was significantly shorter when fed B. tabaci than T. vaporariorum nymphs. Additionally, the total preoviposition period of adult females was statistically shorter when fed B. tabaci nymphs than T. vaporariorum nymphs. Furthermore, the survival rates and total fecundity of O. strigicollis were higher when fed B. tabaci than T. vaporariorum. There were no significant differences in any population parameters of O. strigicollis when fed either whitefly species. These results show that O. strigicollis could survive and maintain its populations on both species of whitefly and could therefore serve as a biological control agent in integrated pest management (IPM).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.