Plant Protection (Scientific Journal of Agriculture)

Plant Protection (Scientific Journal of Agriculture)

Influence of temperatures and diets on predation rate and olfactory behavior of the predatory bug, Macrolophus pygmaeus

Document Type : Research paper-English

Authors
A. Sajadi 1
A. Rajabpour 2
H. Malkeshi 3
F. Yarahmadi 2
1 M.Sc. Graduate of Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Plant Protection; Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
10.22055/ppr.2025.50692.1847
Abstract
The generalist predator, Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Hemiptera: Miridae), is considered as a promising biological control agent for managing pest populations in greenhouses. Nevertheless, the influences of various factors, including the type of prey, environmental conditions, and predator sex, on its predation behavior remain to be fully researched. This study explored the effects of these factors on the predation rate of M. pygmaeus and its herbivory behavior on tomato plants. According to the results, the predation rate varied significantly depending on the type of prey, with a higher rate observed when fed on eggs of tomato leaf miner (TLM), Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) than those eating Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Artemia cysts. The interaction between prey type and temperature had a significant impact, with the highest rate observed when feeding on TLM eggs at 30°C. Female predators exhibited a higher predation rate at 30°C compared to 25°C and 20°C. Irrespective of the presence or absence of animal prey, the generalist predator did not reveal significant phytophagy, as its herbivory behavior did not cause significant damage to the tomato plants. Olfactory responses of M. pygmaeus to volatile cues emanating from different food sources indicated no strong attraction to specific prey based on volatile chemical cues. Overall, the findings suggest that the temperature needs to be elevated to 30°C in greenhouses for better control of TLM by the predator.
Keywords
biocontrol program
greenhouse pests
egg
allelochemicals
tomato
Subjects
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 © 2025 by the authors. Licensee SCU, Ahvaz, Iran. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0 license) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
Plant Protection (Scientific Journal of Agriculture)
Volume 48, Issue 3
Autumn 2025
Pages 81-96