title: Using Calendula officinalis as a floral resource to enhance aphid and thrips suppression by the flower bug Orius sauteri (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The flower bug Orius sauteri (Poppius) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is widely used as a biocontrol agent against thrips and aphids infesting greenhouse vegetables in Asia. The survival and oviposition of such predators, as well as the biocontrol services they provide, may be enhanced by adding extra floral resources to the crops. In the present study we investigated the effects of the plant Calendula officinalis L., used as a floral resource, for promoting the control of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) by O. sauteri under laboratory and greenhouse conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that the presence of C. officinalis enhanced aphid and thrips suppression via an increased O. sauteri population growth. The predator populations responded positively to the addition of C. officinalis in the system, and they also varied as a function of the temperatures tested under laboratory conditions. In a similar way, predator populations varied among seasons, with the highest densities recorded in May in the greenhouse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. officinalis can be used to increase available resources for natural enemies used in agricultural crops, notably in greenhouses. This study also provides evidence that increasing floral resources can enhance pest suppression provided by O. sauteri. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China.|Institute of Plant Diseases and Pests, Weifang University of Science and Technology, Weifang, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research), University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, UMR 1355-7254 Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Desneux
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zappala
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000502:physiology*; D020838:Calendula / Q000254:growth & development*; D020387:Food Chain; D020062:Heteroptera / Q000502:physiology*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D011158:Population Growth; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D061149:Thysanoptera / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Anthocoridae; biological control; companion plant; floral plant; predator