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Population growth of three mirid predatory bugs feeding on eggs and larvae of Tuta absoluta on tomato

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Abstract

Tuta absoluta Meyrick quickly developed into a significant pest of tomatoes worldwide. While the mirid bugs Macrolophus basicornis (Stal), Engytatus varians (Distant) and Campyloneuropsis infumatus (Carvalho) prey on this tomato borer, their biology have not been well characterized. Using a mixture of T. absoluta eggs and larvae as food on tomato, mirid life histories were studied. Nymphs and adults successfully used T. absoluta as prey, although significant differences in biology of the species were observed. Campyloneuropsis infumatus and M. basicornis were quickest and slowest to become adult at 16 and 19 days, respectively. Nymphal survival was high and varied from 70 to 75 %. Female biased sex ratios were observed for C. infumatus (0.80) and M. basicornis (0.71), but not for E. varians (0.56). Intrinsic rates of increase for C. infumatus, E. varians and M. basicornis were 0.11, 0.10 and 0.11 respectively. Our results indicate rapid development and population increase of these three mirids, making them interesting candidates for biological control of T. absoluta on tomato.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Les Shipp (Canada) and two anonymous reviewers for correction of the manuscript, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) (CAPES/NUFFIC Programme Project 044/12) and the National Council for Scientific and Technology Research (CNPq) for financial support of the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biological Control, Department of Entomology, Federal University of Lavras, P.O. Box 3037, Lavras, MG, 37200-000, Brazil

    Diego B. Silva, Vanda H. P. Bueno & Flavio C. Montes

  2. Laboratory for Chemical Ecology and Insect Behavior, Department of Entomology and Acarology, ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

    Diego B. Silva, Vanda H. P. Bueno & Joop C. van Lenteren

  3. Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Joop C. van Lenteren

Authors
  1. Diego B. Silva
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  2. Vanda H. P. Bueno
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  3. Flavio C. Montes
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  4. Joop C. van Lenteren
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanda H. P. Bueno.

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Handling Editor: Marta Montserrat.

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Silva, D.B., Bueno, V.H.P., Montes, F.C. et al. Population growth of three mirid predatory bugs feeding on eggs and larvae of Tuta absoluta on tomato. BioControl 61, 545–553 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-016-9736-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-016-9736-1

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