FIELD SURVEY AND LABORATORY EVALUATION OF THE PREDATOR COMPLEX OF LYGUS-LINEOLARIS AND LYGOCORIS-COMMUNIS (HEMIPTERA, MIRIDAE) IN APPLE ORCHARDS

The predator complex of the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), and Lygocoris communis (Knight) in an apple orchard was determined by screening 30 potential predators. Laboratory feeding trials and field monitoring were conducted for six predatory arthropods that displayed > 60% incidence of predation: Nabicula subcoleoptrata Kirby (Hemiptera: Nabidae), Zelus socius Stal (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), Podisus maculiventris Say (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), Phymata pennsylvanica Handlirsch (Hemiptera: Phymatidae), Philodromus praelustris Keyserling (Araneidae: Philodromidae), and Xysticus punctatus Keyserling (Araneidae: Thomisidae). Daily consumption rates of Z. socius, P. pennsylvanica, N. subcoleoptrata, and P. maculiventris were two to three L. lineolaris adults, whereas Z. socius and P. maculiventris killed one to two adult L. communis. These predators are all generalist feeders. P. maculiventris was the only predator present with L. lineolaris in May on apple trees.