Research on the behavior of the predator species Orius laevigatus in eggplant cultivation

Orius laevigatus is a predatory bug from the Anthocoridae family. This bug eats thrips pests as well as pollen. Adults can fly and find prey very easily. Once prey is found, it splits it open and eats its contents. Orius laevigatus can eat up to 20 thrips per day. At a ratio of one predator to 180 thrips, thrips populations were suppressed, and at a ratio of one predator to 40 victims, thrips populations were kept below the damage threshold. The first inoculations with natural predators were made in June around the 20th, with the second inoculation to be made two weeks later, on June 28, when the plants had a much better developed foliar system. Orius laevigatus was tested against Frankliniella occidentalis in greenhouses for eggplant crops, together with Orius niger. Several releases of adults (1-6 individuals/m²) were carried out. Three experimental variants were set up: V1—inoculation was performed only with the species Orius laevigatus; V2—inoculation with a mixture of the predators Orius laevigatus and Orius niger; and variant V3—mixture with the predators Macrolophus pygmaeus and Amblyseius swirskii. For each species, inoculations began with 1 ind/m².