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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #154620
Title: PREDATION BY ORIUS INSIDIOSUS (HETEROPTERA: ANTHOCORIDAE) ON LIFE STAGES AND SPECIES OF FRANKLINIELLA FLOWER THRIPS (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE) IN PEPPER FLOWERS

Author
item Baez, Ignacio
item Reitz, Stuart
item FUNDERBURK, JOE - NFREC, UNIV OF FL, QUINCY

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2004
Citation: Baez, I., Reitz, S.R., Funderburk, J. 2004. Predation by Orius insidiosus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) on life stages and species of Frankliniella flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in pepper flowers. Environmental Entomology. 33:662-670.

Interpretive Summary: Because of their direct feeding damage and the ability of some species to transmit plant viruses, thrips are the most significant insect pests of vegetable crops in the southeastern USA. Biological control could become a sustainable alternative to chemical insecticides, which do not provide satisfactory control thrips. Yet little is known of how predators such as the insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus, respond to different types of thrips prey. Therefore, scientists at the FAMU Branch of the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, and the North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy, FL, conducted a series of experiments to examine the behavior of different thrips and how Orius interacts with these different thrips. Adult western flower thrips disperse less than adults of eastern flower thrips. The predator preferred immature to adult thrips. Despite differences in movement patterns of adults, Orius was able to capture similar numbers of western flower thrips and the more active eastern flower thrips. The ability of O. insidiosus to prey successfully on different life stages and species of thrips in complex environments indicates that it is an efficient predator of thrips and is an important biological control agent of these serious pests.

Technical Abstract: Laboratory studies were conducted to compare predation of Orius insidiosus (Say) on adult and 2nd instars of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) and on F. occidentalis and F. tritici (Fitch) in pepper flowers. Corresponding studies were conducted to compare the dispersal from pepper flowers of these thrips in the presence and absence of the predator. For each experiment, two densities of thrips (10 and 20 total thrips) and two time exposures (10 and 34 hrs) were tested. Second instars were more likely to move from the flower than were F. occidentalis adults. Frankliniella tritici dispersed more than F. occidentalis from the flower. The presence of the predator enhanced movement by thrips out of the release flower. Despite differences in prey movement, O. insidiosus successfully preyed on all types of prey that were offered. However, O. insidiosus appeared to deal differently with each type of prey. Predation of larvae and adults was more likely to occur inside flowers. In trials with adults and 2nd instars of F. occidentalis, larvae were significantly more vulnerable to predation than were adults. Frankliniella tritici, the more active species, may have been more vulnerable to predation because of higher rates of encounter with the predator; however, Orius insidiosus may have had greater attack success against the less active F. occidentalis. The ability of O. insidiosus to prey successfully on different life stages and species of thrips in complex environments indicates that it can be an efficient predator of thrips and an important biological control agent.