Effect of Host Plants on Predator Prey Relationship between Predatory Bug, Orius laevigatus (Fiber) [Hemiptera: Anthocoridae] and Tobach

Effect of Host Plants on Predator Prey Relationship between Predatory Bug, Orius laevigatus (Fiber) [Hemiptera: Anthocoridae] and Tobacco Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) [Homoptera: Aleyrodidae]

Abdul-Jalil Hamdan, Iyad Abu-Awad

ajhamdan@hebron.edu

Department of Plant Production and Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Hebron University, Hebron, Palestine

Received : 15-10-2006 , Accepted : 29-05-2007

Language: English

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of host plants on the predatory bug, O. laevigatus. Tobacco whitefly, B. tabaci was offered on tomato and eggplant leaf discs as food source for the predator in the laboratory at temperature of 25±1?C, 75±5% R.H, and 16 L: 8 D photoperiod regime. Results showed that adults of O. laevigatus were able to feed on both eggs and larval instars of B. tabaci maintained either on tomato or eggplant. O. laevigatus preferred significantly (P <>

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