Bulletin of Insectology (2008) 61, 209-210

Lara Bosco and Luciana Tavella (2008)
Collection of Orius species in horticultural areas of northwestern Italy
Bulletin of Insectology 61 (1), 209-210
4th European Hemiptera Congress, Ivrea (Turin, Italy) - Sept. 10-14, 2007
Abstract: The species of the genus Orius Wolff are well-known as generalist predators able to control thrips outbreaks worldwide. In 2005 Orius species were collected on different crops (bean, sweet pepper in greenhouses and in the open field, strawberry, sweet leek), located in typical horticultural areas of Piedmont (NW Italy). During the growing season Orius species were also sampled on the wild flora in the surroundings of pepper greenhouses, to assess the natural host plants alternative to the crop in the investigated area. The adult anthocorids were then identified examining the genital clasper in males and the copulatory tube in females. During field surveys, three Orius species were sampled on crops and wild flora: Orius majusculus (Reuter), Orius minutus (L.), and Orius niger (Wolff). O. niger occurred on almost all the sampled plant species, while O. majusculus prevailed on vegetables even if it was rarely collected on wild flora. Both of them seem to be good candidates for thrips control in horticultural areas of northwestern Italy. On the contrary O. minutus was generally observed in a scarce quantity, except on bean.
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Database assignments for author(s): Luciana Tavella

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Orius majusculus (predator)			Italy
Orius minutus (predator)			Italy
Orius niger (predator)			Italy