Research on the predatory potential of Nesidiocoris poppiusi against eggs and larvae of Tuta absoluta

To explore the predatory ability and pest control potential of Nesidiocoris poppiusi against the invasive and destructive pest Tuta absoluta, the predatory functional response and searching efficiency of female and male adults of N. poppiusi to the eggs and larvae of T. absoluta were investigated under indoor conditions in this study. The results showed that the female and male adults of N. poppiusi exhibited strong predatory capacity against the eggs and 2^nd instar larvae of T. absoluta, and the predatory functional responses conformed to Holling's Type Ⅱ model. For T. absoluta eggs, the instantaneous attack rates (a') of female and male adults of N. poppiusi were 1.0238 and 0.9623, the handling time (T_h) were 0.0020 d and 0.0026 d, and the theoretical maximum daily predation amounts (N_a-max) were 500.00 eggs and 384.62 eggs, respectively. For 2^nd-instar T. absoluta larvae, the instantaneous attack rates (a') of female and male adults of N. poppiusi were 0.8945 and 0.8466, handling times (T_h) were 0.0101 d and 0.0116 d, theoretical maximum daily predation rates (N_a-max) were 99.01 and 86.21, respectively. The searching efficiency of both females and males decreased as prey density increased, with females consistently demonstrating higher efficiency than males. Overall, both female and male adults of N. poppiusi exhibited strong predatory capacity against T. absoluta eggs and larvae, indicating significant potential as a biological control agent. The results of this article provide theoretical and statistical support for the environmentally friendly management of T. absoluta using N. poppiusi.