Macrolophus caliginosus: Functional response to whiteflies and preference and switching capacity between whiteflies and spider mites

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were performed with adult female Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner (Heteroptera: Miridae) at 22°C on bean plants to determine the functional response towards whiteflies, as well as the preference and switching capacity between the two prey species: whiteflies and spider mites. Predation of females presented with first instars of Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) was of a Type III functional response. The observed maximum predation was approximately 75 first instars at high prey densities within a 24‐h period. The preference of M. caliginosus females between eggs of T. vaporariorum and Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acarina: Tetranychidae) changed with the ratio of offered prey. The preference for T. vaporariorum eggs increased non‐linearly with increasing proportions of this prey type. The average maximum predation of whitefly and spider mite eggs were approximately 166 and 111 eggs per day, respectively, at the highest ratio of the two preys. The proportion of M. caliginosus females found on the test plants at the end of the experiment increased with prey density suggesting that this mirid spends more time in areas with high prey density. Macrolophus caliginosus females are voracious predators of eggs and first instars of T. vaporariorum as well as of spider mite eggs and may thus be a valuable addition to existing methods of biological control of T. vaporariorum and T. urticae.

Temperature-dependent functional response of Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) to different densities of pupae of cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

“…Several studies report a type II functional response for mirid bugs (Foglar et al, 1990;Song & Heong, 1997;Montserrat et al, 2000;Fantinou et al, 2008Fantinou et al, , 2009). Nevertheless, a type III functional response is also reported for mirid bugs by Abdel-Aziz (1994), Enkegaard et al (2001) and Hamdan (2006), in which Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner foraged for Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood). In the present study, the type III functional response was recorded only at the highest temperature used.…”

Prey preference and biomass consumption of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Hemiptera: Miridae) fed Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

“…Thus, the potential of M. pygmaeus to suppress M. euphorbiae numbers is largely dependent on the structure of M. euphorbiae population. Changes in the ratio of prey types available [eggs of Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and eggs of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acarina: Tetranychidae)] are also reported to affect the predation rate of the predator Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner (Enkegaard et al, 2001).…”

Odour-mediated responses of a predatory mirid bug and its prey, the two-spotted spider mite

“…tomato, egg plants, sweet pepper and some ornamental cultures Macrolophus caliginosus is primarily used for control of whiteflies (e.g. van Schelt et al 1995), but due to its polyphagous and voracious nature (Enkegaard et al 2001), it is also increasingly exploited for (supplementary) control of other pests such as aphids, leafminers and spider mites (e.g. Fischer and Leger 1996;Koskula et al 1999;Nedstam and Johansson-Kron 1999;Arno et al 2003).…”