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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839)
(Hemiptera: Miridae) is a polyphagous predator
used in programs of biological control and integrated
pest management as a natural enemy against small
arthropod pests including whiteflies, thrips, spi-
der mites and aphid. This mirid is also successfully
mass reared under factitious prey for commercial
purposes. In the present study we assessed and com-
pared the prey consumption, weight gain and conver-
sion efficiency in females of two populations of M.
pygmaeus, from mainland Portugal and the Azores,
fed on single prey diets of Ephestia kuehniella Zel-
ler (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs, or Tuta absoluta
(Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) eggs. We found
that female’s prey consumption on eggs of T. abso-
luta was higher than that of E. kuehniella, presum-
ably due to the comparative size/amount of biomass
of the eggs. Translating prey consumption in biomass
ingested, we only found a significant difference for
consumption on E. kuehniella eggs by M. pygmaeus
from the Azores. Despite the smaller size of females
from the Azores, they were able to consume more
prey and ultimately reaching a similar body weight
and conversion efficiency compared with females
from mainland, independently of the prey provided.
Our results are in line with a previous study, showing
differences in the life-history traits of M. pygmaeus
from mainland Portugal and Azorean populations fed on alternative prey. From an applied perspective, our
results are a contribution to the decision-making on
the use of the most effective biocontrol agents for different prey and/or agroecosystem contexts.
Description
Keywords
Biological control Predators Miridae Biological traits Egg-prey Ephestia kuehniella
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Borges, Isabel, et al. «Prey Consumption and Conversion Efficiency in Females of Two Feral Populations of Macrolophus Pygmaeus, a Biocontrol Agent of Tuta Absoluta». Phytoparasitica, vol. 52, n.o 2, abril de 2024, p. 31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-024-01130-0.
Publisher
Springer