title: Functional Responses of Three Neotropical Mirid Predators to Eggs of Tuta absoluta on Tomato.
abstract: Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has quickly developed into a significant tomato pest worldwide. While the recently found mirid predators Macrolophus basicornis (Stal), Engytatus varians (Distant) and Campyloneuropsis infumatus (Carvalho) of this pest are able to establish and reproduce on tomato, biological knowledge of these mirids is still limited. Here we describe the functional response of the three mirid predators of the tomato pest T. absoluta when offered a range of prey densities (four, eight, 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256 eggs) during a 24 h period inside cylindrical plastic cages in the laboratory. Engytatus varians and M. basicornis showed a type III functional response, whereas C. infumatus showed a type II functional response. At the highest prey densities, C. infumatus consumed an average of 51.0 eggs, E. varians 91.1 eggs, and M. basicornis 100.8 eggs. Taking all information into account that we have collected of these three Neotropical mirid species, we predict that M. basicornis might be the best candidate for control of the tomato borer in Brazil: it has the highest fecundity, the largest maximum predation capacity, and it reacts in a density-dependent way to the widest prey range.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, Wageningen 6700 EH, The Netherlands. joop.vanlenteren@wur.nl.|Laboratory Chemical Ecology and Insect Behavior, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ/USP), Piracicaba SP 13418-900, Brazil. joop.vanlenteren@wur.nl.
authors.forename: Joop C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van Lenteren
authors.affiliation: Biometris, Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16, Wageningen 6700 AA, The Netherlands. lia.hemerik@wur.nl.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hemerik
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Entomology, University Center of V&#225;rzea Grande, V&#225;rzea Grande MT 78118-900, Brazil. juracylins@yahoo.com.br.|Laboratory of Biological Control, Department of Entomology, Federal University of Lavras, P. O. Box 3037, Lavras MG 37200-000, Brazil. juracylins@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Juracy C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lins
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Control, Department of Entomology, Federal University of Lavras, P. O. Box 3037, Lavras MG 37200-000, Brazil. vhpbueno@den.ufla.br.|Laboratory Chemical Ecology and Insect Behavior, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ/USP), Piracicaba SP 13418-900, Brazil. vhpbueno@den.ufla.br.
authors.forename: Vanda H P
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Bueno
keywords: Campyloneuropsis infumatus; Engytatus varians; Macrolophus basicornis; Miridae; biological control; tomato borer; zoophytophagy