Some thrips species (Thysanoptera) are known as major pests because of causing the damage, especially to young citrus lemon fruits. Therefore, thrips surveys were carried out in from flowering period until the fruit reached a size of 4-5 cm in diameter in Adana and Mersin provinces, Turkey. In each orchard, 100 fruits were randomly collected and checked individually to determine thrips damage on young fruits. A total of 13 thysanopteran species were determined. Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) was the most common thrips species on different citrus varieties in Adana province, but Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan) dominated thrips fauna in the citrus lemon groves in Mersin province. No thrips damage was recorded in the groves where F. occidentalis was commonly present. Thrips hawaiiensis appeared to be harmful on lemon flowers and fruits. Thrips caused silvery or bronzed stains on flowers and fruits. Thrips damage was observed in the mid-May when the flower density was low i.e. third or fourth weeks following petal fall. The staining rates on fruits due to T. hawaiiensis in the sampled lemon orchards ranged from 20 to 34%.

Güz tırtılı Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) dünyada mısırında içinde bulunduğu pek çok üründe ana zararlı konumundadır. Orijini Amerika kıtası olan S. frugiperda, Asya ve Afrika kıtasında 50’den fazla ülkeye yayılmış durumdadır. EPPO bölgesinde ilk defa 2019 yılında Mısır’da tespit edilmiş olup, sonrasında 2020 yılında Güney İsrail ve son olarak da Suriye’de belirlenmiştir. Tesadüfi olarak yapılan mısır tarlalarının sörveyleri sırasında Adana İli’nde bu zararlı ilk kez saptanmıştır. Bu zararlı larvaların morfolojik özelliklerine göre teşhis edilmiştir. Adana İli’nde üretim sezonunun sonuna gelindiği için sadece dört tarla kontrol edilmiş ve tüm tarlalar S. frugiperda ile bulaşık bulunmuştur. Bu zararlı ile bulaşık bitki oranı %14-15 arasında değişmişir. Adana İlinde iklim koşulları bu zararlı için uygun olabilir. Bu durum, istilacı zararlının bu bölgede diyapoza girmeden neredeyse yıl boyunca çoğalıp yayılabileceğini ve özellikle mısır üretim alanlarında önemli bir zararlı olma potansiyeline sahip olduğunu gösterebilir.

Orius spp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is well-known genus of generalist predators, which feed on numerous pest insects and mites infesting crops. In this study, the functional responses of the predatory bugs, Orius laevigatus (Fieber) and Orius vicinus (Ribaut), to different densities of the eggs of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and red spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), were determined under laboratory conditions. Different numbers of eggs (2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128) of both species of prey were offered to females of the above predators for 24-h in a controlled environment of 25 ± 1?C, 60 ± 10% RH and under a 16L : 8D photoperiod. The parameters of the functional responses were assessed using Holling's Disc Equation. Both predators showed a Type II response to both prey. The attack rates (a) and handling times (Th) of the predators were computed for spider mites eggs: O. laevigatus (a: 0.972, Th: 0.007) and O. vicinus (a: 1.113, Th: 0.005), and whitefly eggs: O. laevigatus (a: 1.022, Th: 0.002) and O. vicinus (a: 0.772 Th: 0.006). Furthermore, the average number of B. tabaci eggs consumed by O. laevigatus females was greater than by those of O. vicinus. In contrast, O. vicinus was a more efficient predator of T. urticae eggs than O. laevigatus. Consequently, these results indicate that together these predators might be effective biological control agents in regulating populations of B. tabaci and T. urticae in agricultural ecosystems.

Intraguild predation of a generalist predator, Orius niger Wolff (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) on Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), was determined in choice and no-choice experiments using a factitious host, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), under laboratory conditions. Choice and no-choice experiments were conducted in order to assess the level of intraguild predation of O. niger on E. kuehniella eggs parasitized by T. evanescens. In no-choice experiments, approximately 50 sterile (1) non-parasitized, (2) 3-day-old parasitized, or (3) 6-day-old parasitized E. kuehniella eggs were offered to 24-h-old females of O. niger in glass tubes. In choice experiments approximately 25 eggs of two of the three groups mentioned above were offered to 24-h-old O. niger females. In both choice and no-choice experiments, O. niger consumed more non-parasitized eggs of E. kuehniella. However, intraguild predation occurred, especially of 3-day-old parasitoids, but very few 6-day-old parasitized eggs were consumed. The preference index was nearly 1 indicating O. niger preferred mainly non-parasitized E. kuehniella eggs. A lower level of intraguild predation is expected under field conditions but needs to be investigated using further experiments.

Background: Egg parasitoids belonging to the genus Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are important natural enemies that have been successfully used in biological control programs and mostly reared on the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Host quality is a crucial factor that can determine parasitoid fitness. Main body: Laboratory studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of 3 different larval diets CY diet (95% cornmeal + 5% yeast), CBGY diet (53.3% cornmeal + 26.7% wheat bran + 15% glycerine + 5% yeast), and WBGY diet (53.3% wheat flour + 26.7% wheat bran + 15% glycerine + 5% yeast) on some demographic parameters of E. kuehniella. Moreover, the performance of the species Trichogramma evanescens Westwood reared on the E. kuehniella eggs reared on the 3 artificial diets were determined. For the E. kuehniella rearing, the CY diet had a higher fecundity and greater emergence ratios. Nevertheless, CY diet also provided shorter developmental time, greater fecundity, and relatively higher female ratios of subsequent generations of the parasitoids. Conclusion: The results suggest that the CY diet could be considered as a standard diet for the multigenerational rearing of T. evanescens.