Detrimental sublethal effects hamper the effective use of natural and chemical pesticides in combination with a key natural enemy of Bemisia tabaci on tomato

Abstract

Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) represents one of the greatest threats to agricultural crops. Chemical control is the primary tool used in integrated pest management (IPM) programs. However, release of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) on tomato plants is a highly recommended control tactic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a commercial borax plus citrus oil (BCO) product against B. tabaci in the presence and absence of N. tenuis. The synthetic insecticide lambda‐cyhalothrin was used as a positive control. We also evaluated the sublethal effects of BCO on the behavior and predation rate of N. tenuis.