Predation rates of Tupiocoris cucurbitaceous (Hemiptera: Miridae) feeding on different Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) developmental stages.

ROCCA, M; MONTIEL CÁCERES, ROCÍO; LUNA, M. G.; NIEVES, E.

Vancouver

Congreso; 2018 ESA, ESC and ESBC Joint Annual Meeting; 2018

ESA, ESC and ESBC

Predation rates of Tupiocoris cucurbitaceous (Hemiptera: Miridae) feeding on different Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) developmental stages. Rocío Montiel Cáceres1,2, Margarita Rocca2, Eliana L. Nieves2, and M. Gabriela Luna2,31 Graduate student, Escuela para Graduados EPG FAUBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina2 CEPAVE (CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.3 Universidad Nacional de San Antonio de Areco (UNSAdA), San Antonio de Areco, Argentina. The South American tomato leafminer (SATL), Tuta absoluta, is a key pest of tomato crops. Phytosanitary measures in Argentina mainly rely on preventive, high-doses pesticide usage. Biocontrol using hemipteran predators is an alternative for SATL management in South America and Europe. We evaluated the predation behavior of Tupiocoris cucurbitaceous, a common predatory bug in tomato crops, and recently developed as a commercial biocontrol agent in Argentina. Five experiments were performed to assess: daily consumption of SATL eggs by T. curcurbitaceous (1) nymphs of all instars, and (2) 7-days and 15-days old adults of both sexes; daily consumption of SATL L1-L2 larvae by T. curcurbitaceous (3) nymphs of all instars, and (4) adults of both sexes. Predation of T. curcurbitaceous nymphs of all instars on L1-L2 larvae outside mines was also estimated after 24 h (5). Two mirid colonies, from field-captured and commercial specimens, were tested. Sex, age and origin of colonies did not affect adult T. cucurbitaceous predation rates (0.7-0.9 proportions of eggs), except for 15-days old males that consumed less eggs (0.4). Field and commercial T. cucurbitaceous nymphs of all instars preyed a similar proportion of eggs than adults. Adult and nymphal stages of T. cucurbitaceous failed preying on larvae inside mines; however, immature predators showed an increased feeding behavior when leafminer larvae were exposed (ca. 0.4 of preys offered). Differential T. cucurbitaceous predation on SATL developmental stages may have implications for coexistence of other pest biocontrol agents -as the larval endoparasitoid Pseudapanteles dignus- by avoiding interference interactions.