Influence of adult density and plant type on the fertility of females of the predatory bug Macrolophus pygmaeus (Heteroptera, Miridae) during mass culture

Macrolophus pygmaeus (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a predatory bug widely used in plant protection for pest control. During mass breeding, an important role in obtaining entomophagous products at the lowest cost is played by the selection of the optimal density of oviparous adults on the plant for oviposition and the type of host plant. In this study, we assessed the influence of the density of adult bugs and two species of tobacco, the ornamental tobacco Nicotiana alata and the cultivated tobacco N. tabacum, on female fertility. It has been established that the fertility of females is influenced by both the total leaf surface area and the size of optimal sites (main vein length) for oviposition. The volume of production is determined both by the fertility of females at different densities of their content on the plant, and by the number of females per unit area of leaf surface. The results of assessment of productivity of two tobacco species demonstrate that the higher productivity in the cultivated tobacco is achieved at the density of 20 to 30 pairs per plant, while in the ornamental tobacco – 35 to 60. To obtain the maximal productivity, the more suitable plant was the ornamental tobacco N. alata with the adult density of 40 pairs per plant.