On the Prospects of Rearing the Predatory Bug Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Heteroptera, Anthocoridae) on Cysts of Artemia salina Leach (Crustacea, Anostraca)

Abstract: The predatory bug Orius laevigatus is a promising agent for biological control of aphids, thrips, whiteflies, spider mites, and other pests of vegetables and berries. Its use in greenhouses is limited by a high rearing cost, mostly due to the use of such expensive food as eggs of moths, e.g., the grain moth Sitotroga cerealella. Laboratory experiments show that O. laevigatus nymphs and adults can feed on much cheaper cysts of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina. When fed alternately on A. salina cysts and S. cerealella eggs, nymph survival and female fecundity were less than 20% lower than on grain moth eggs alone. Considering a much more substantial (10–15 times) difference in the cost of these foods, we conclude that alternation of S. cerealella eggs with A. salina cysts is a promising method to increase the economic feasibility of O. laevigatus use for biological control of pests in greenhouses. © 2023, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.