Daily Prey Consumption and Functional Response of Orius insidiosus: Implications for Biological Control of Scirtothrips dorsalis in Strawberries

Strawberry is an important specialty crop grown in Florida. Recently, chilli thrips, <i>Scirtothrips dorsalis</i> Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), have become a significant threat to Florida strawberry production. Pesticide applications are not always recommended because of the development of insecticidal resistance. Biological control can be a viable control option for this pest. However, the management of <i>S. dorsalis</i> using predatory bug <i>Orius insidiosus</i> Say (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) has never been explored in strawberries. Therefore, this study's aim was to evaluate the predation efficacy of <i>O. insidiosus</i> through daily consumption rate and the functional response while preying on <i>S. dorsalis</i>. The results suggest that adult <i>O. insidiosus</i> has a significantly higher daily consumption rate than fifth-instar nymphs when feeding on both life stages of <i>S. dorsalis</i>. A Type II functional response was expressed by <i>O. insidiosus</i> when feeding on larval and adult <i>S. dorsalis,</i> indicating that the predation rate can increase with the prey density before it reaches a saturation point. The attack rates (a) and prey handling time (T_h) were also computed on second-instar larvae and adult <i>S. dorsalis</i>, respectively. The results indicate that <i>O. insidiosus</i> can be used as an augmentation biocontrol agent for <i>S. dorsalis</i> management in strawberries.