Economic and financial model to the mass-rearing of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) (Heteroptera: Miridae), a biological control agent against the tomato moth Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in protected culture.

Background: Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a major pest of tomato produced in glasshouses and open field, causing severe damages to crops, reducing the quality of tomato fruits. The current maintenance of the pest populations below the economic threshold is not achieved by natural and classical control, thus requiring the continuous application of biological control agents (BCAs), under an augmentative or inoculative approach. The present study aims to develop an economic and financial model to evaluate the commercial viability of a continuous mass production of Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur), a BCA commonly used against the tomato moth, Tuta absoluta, in protected culture.

Beauveria bassiana exhibits strong virulence against Dendroctonus ponderosae in greenhouse and field experiments.

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) has infested over 16 million hectares of pine forests in western Canada, killing over 50% of mature lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta, in British Columbia alone. There are few tools available to manage irruptive bark beetle populations and to mitigate tree mortality. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that causes mortality to several bark beetle species.

Phytoseiid predatory mites can disperse entomopathogenic fungi to prey patches.

Recent studies have shown that predatory mites used as biocontrol agents can be loaded with entomopathogenic fungal conidia to increase infection rates in pest populations. Under laboratory conditions, we determined the capacity of two phytoseiid mites, Amblyseius swirskii and Neoseiulus cucumeris to deliver the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana to their prey, Frankliniella occidentalis. Predatory mites were loaded with conidia and released on plants that had been previously infested with first instar prey clustered on a bean leaf.