The zoophytophagous mirid Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) is one of the biological control agents against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), a major pest of greenhouse crops. The successful establishment of a biological control agent and its co-occurrence with the target pests increases the efficacy of biological control programs in greenhouses. In this study, we explored the effects of different wavelengths of LED light on establishment of N. tenuis in laboratory condition, with the goal of enhancing the biological control of B. tabaci in greenhouse crops. Nesidiocoris tenuis was most strongly attracted by LED light at a wavelength of 385 nm. This same wavelength was also highly attractive to B. tabaci in Y-tube experiments with lights of specific wavelengths provided is each arm of the apparatus. In trials in growth chambers, we verified the attraction of N. tenuis to 385 nm wavelength. When LED light at a wavelength of 385 nm was used in a growth chamber for 6 hours out of 24 hours, it significantly increased the remaining number of N. tenuis in growth chamber and level of predation compared to treatment with white LED light or without LED light. In conclusion, UV-LED light at a wavelength of 385 nm attracts both B. tabaci and N. tenuis. Thus, it would be used for enhancing early establishment of this mirid bug, better spatial congruence of both mirid bug and whitefly, and better control of the whitefly.

Since the first report on its occurrence in 2010, Ricania shantungensis Chou & Lu in Korea has quickly spread. This pest population in agricultural areas has increased by over 100% each year and has caused serious economic damage in the last few years. This study was conducted to predict the potential habitat and the current and future distribution of R. shantungensis in Korea using CLIMEX and the Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt), and to suggest a new parameter selection method for both modeling programs. Weights of variables used in CLIMEX and those used in MaxEnt were determined using spatial association indices of spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE). Weather data of Zhejiang province in China and those of all Korean territories were compared with Climate Matching in CLIMEX. MaxEnt was applied and evaluated with 295 data points on the presence and absence of R. shantungensis and eight environmental variables that were preselected by spatial and correlation tests. In MaxEnt, maximum temperature of the warmest month, annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the coldest month, and precipitation of the driest month were determined to be the most important variables affecting the distribution of R. shantungensis in Korea. The results of this study indicated that R. shantungensis had a higher probability of occurrence in western areas than in eastern areas of Korea, and showed great potential to spread eastward. These results are expected to be helpful for managing R. shantungensis in Korea and selecting relevant environmental variables for species distribution modeling.