Augmenting <i>Nesidiocoris tenuis</i> (Nesidiocoris) with a Factitious Diet of <i>Artemia</i> Cysts to Control <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> (Gennadius) on Tomato Plants under Greenhouse Conditions

• Main Authors: Takeshi Saito, Motonori Takagi, Toshiyuki Tezuka, Takashi Ogawara, David Wari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
• Series: Insects
• Subjects: <i>Artemia</i> cysts; <i>Bemisia tabaci</i>; factitious diet; high fructose corn syrup; honey; Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/12/3/265

Natural predators such as <i>Nesidiocoris tenuis</i> are known for their role in managing greenhouse pests. However, techniques in maximizing the biological control potential of <i>N. tenuis</i> under field conditions are still lacking. We evaluated under greenhouse conditions the prospects of <i>Artemia</i> cysts enhanced with high fructose corn syrup and honey, and delivered using hemp strings (hemp rope) as supplementary factitious dietary in augmenting the proliferation and spread of <i>N. tenuis</i> on tomato plants. Results showed that <i>N. tenuis</i> supplemented with hemp rope could establish, proliferate and disperse among tomato plants compared to the <i>N. tenuis</i> supplemented with banker plants. Even though <i>N. tenuis</i> proliferated exponentially on banker plants, their movement and relocation to tomato plants, as expected, were only congested on tomato plants near the banker plants. However, as the survey continued, they relocated to the rest of the tomato plants. Furthermore, the number of <i>Bemisia tabaci</i> eggs and nymphs, a serious greenhouse pest of tomato, was observed to be significantly reduced in hemp rope greenhouse compared to banker plants and the negative control (no pest control system) greenhouses. This study, therefore, establishes foundational data on the usage of <i>Artemia</i> cysts enhanced with isomerized sugar (high fructose corn syrup) and honey under greenhouse conditions as factitious supplementary dietary in supporting <i>N. tenuis</i> establishment and spread, traits that are essential towards development of whitefly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system. enhanced with isomerized sugar (high fructose corn syrup) and honey.